


Second Chance at Love: Year One

by DavidFalkayn



Series: Second Chance For Love [1]
Category: Daria (Cartoon)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-04-17 12:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 180,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14189031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavidFalkayn/pseuds/DavidFalkayn
Summary: Captain Shelby, in an effort to save her grandmother, Aliz Bathory, and her grandfather, Commodore Robert Wesley, sacrifices herself to stop a pah-wraith from devouring their life forces in order to fuel its effort to open up a dimensional portal to an infernal universe.  As a result, Shelby is shattered into shards or fragments of herself all being dispersed to different universes with one of those universes being Lawndale.  Here, her shard is that of a sixteen year old teenage girl whose experiences will give Shelby a second chance for love.





	1. Arrival

**_Bajor—The Fire Caves Stardate -55705.01 April 2267_ **

“No! I won’t let you!” Captain Elizabeth Shelby shouted as she saw both her grandparents’ life forces being drained by the pa-wraith better known as the Blood Wraith. Snatching the medallion hanging from her the neck of Aliz Bathory, her grandmother, she put it on the altar and then, taking the dagger, cut the palm of her hand, turning it so that the blood dripped on to the amulet. Then, taking the bloody amulet, she flung it into the vortex that had opened above the Gem of K’Tesh. As soon as the amulet entered the vortex the chamber became bathed in a soft white light. Liz then felt a tugging within herself, looking into the vortex, she saw different images-fragments or shards really—of herself. One, her as a starship captain, another image was her as a dancer performing on stage, yet another fragment was that of an elderly woman watching the sunrise on Earth and yet another, that of a hard-bitten mercenary. All stages of her life were represented—infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adult, mature adult, older woman. Many of her fragments showed her with one or more lovers…going from lover to lover with no real connection to any of them, her only solace coming from a few very close friends whom she cherished. Other shards had her as a happily married woman with children. Sometimes the spouse was male, other times female. Most often, the spouse was human, although some fragments had her with a Vulcan or a Trill or a Betazoid or a Bajoran. Sometimes she was lonely—other times surrounded by friends. Some images showed her with a loving father…others estranged from one or both of her parents. All of the shards were pieces of her, and yet each was a whole person in its own right. And they were all now being scattered throughout the multiverse.

One fragment, that of a young teenage girl of about fifteen years, wearing tight black pants and a black midriff top with her navel and nose pierced, found itself in a unique location…a small town in Maryland called Lawndale.

 

_**In another universe…Lawndale Stardate:???????** _

“But Mom!” Quinn Morgendorffer pleaded from the passenger’s seat of her mother’s SUV. “I can’t see why we’re shopping for something for Daria. She’s going to hate whatever we get.”

“It doesn’t matter Quinn.” Helen Morgendorffer declared in a stern voice, “It’s your sister’s birthday and we’re shopping for a present for her.”

“Maybe we can get something for her at Cashman’s… a real wardrobe instead of that tacky green jacket and ugly skirt she wears.”

“Quinn!” Helen exclaimed in a sharp tone, “This isn’t about you! It’s about your sister!”

“It’s always about Daria!” Quinn pouted.

“That’s enough, Quinn!” Helen almost shouted then, her eyes widening in panic she cried out, “Oh no!” as she swerved her car, barely missing a young blonde woman wearing tight black pants, boots, and a black midriff top crossing the road. Stopping the car along the side of the road, Helen quickly opened the door and ran to the strange young woman. “You almost got yourself killed, young lady!” She exclaimed as she took in her appearance, including her navel ring and nose stud. Probably just another Degas Street stoner. Helen concluded as she once again spoke to the stranger, “Who are you and where are your parents?”

The blonde teenager, drawing back in fear at the panic-stricken red-headed woman standing before her, mumbled a response, “Eltévedtem. Hol Vagyok.”

“I can’t understand you.” Helen replied in a soft, reassuring voice, calming down from her initial panic as she looked into the frightened eyes of the young woman standing before her. “Do you speak English?”

Understanding what the strange woman was asking her, the blonde nodded her head, “Yes.”

“Good.” Helen sighed in relief. “Do you know your name?”

Nodding her head, the teenager responded, “Elizaveta…Elizaveta Bathory.”

Smiling, Helen noticing that Quinn had joined them, motioned for her daughter to step back a bit. “I don’t want to scare her, Quinn.” She whispered and then turning her attention back to the blonde, her smile grew wider, “That’s a pretty name, Elizaveta. Do you know where your parents are?”

“No.” The blonde shook her head.

“Okay…” Helen kept her voice tone level, speaking in as reassuring a voice as possible, “Do you remember how you got here?”

“No.” The teenager shook her head.

Sighing, Helen came to a decision, “Elizaveta…I want to take you to a place that can help you…ok?”

Nodding her head, the blonde responded, “Ok”

“Come with me.” Helen said, maintaining her soothing tone as she gently guided the young stranger to her car, helping her into the front passenger seat. Turning to her daughter, she requested, “Quinn…ride in the back.”

“Where are we going, Mom?” Quinn asked as she got into the back seat and buckled up.

“I’m taking her to Lawndale Cedars.” Helen responded, “I think she might have amnesia.”

“As if my sister wasn’t bad enough.” Quinn muttered under her breath, “Now there’s another crazy girl.”

Helen, before starting the car, took out her cell phone and made two calls, the first to the law firm where she worked.

“Felicity? Can you do me a favor and look up any references to taking temporary guardianship of a minor with no known parents or record of birth? Yeah…as soon as possible, please. Thank you, Felicity.” Then she hit the speed dial for her next call, “Jake? I need you and Daria to meet me and Quinn at Lawndale Cedars. Calm down, Jake…no one’s hurt. Just…meet us there, ok.”

Turning to the blonde girl seated next to her, Helen flashed a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Elizaveta. We’re going to take good care of you.”

_**Lawndale Cedars Hospital** _

“That’s right, Doctor.” Helen affirmed, “She doesn’t know where she is or who her parents are, but she speaks another language—I think it might be an Eastern or Central European language.

“That would fit with the name she gave you.” The doctor responded, nodding his head, “I’ve got an intern from Hungary. Let’s see if he can shed some light on where she came from. “Janos!” The doctor called out, “Can you come here for a moment?”

“Sure, Doctor Carlisle.” The intern, speaking with a thick Hungarian accent, replied.

“This young woman here apparently speaks Hungarian; can you tell if she is Hungarian?”

Smiling, the intern asked Elizaveta her name in Magyar.

“A navem Elizaveta Bathory.” The young blonde responded in fluent Magyar.

His eyes widening at the young girl’s name, the intern then carried out a conversation with the young woman for several minutes, all of it in Magyar. Their conversation ended, Janos addressed the doctor and Helen, “While she speaks fluent Magyar, she’s not Hungarian.”

“She’s not?” Helen asked.

“No.” Janos shook his head, “Although her Magyar is so good that she could easily fool someone who isn’t Hungarian into thinking that she was. Her accent’s the giveaway.” He explained, “It’s North American—I’d say northern or midwestern US. But she has most likely grown up with family members or relations who are Hungarian and who use the language a lot. My guess is that she might have a Hungarian parent or grandparent.” He then added as Jake and Daria entered the room, “Whoever gave her that name either has a sick sense of humor or genuinely doesn’t know the history behind it.”

“Why do you say that?” Helen asked.

“Elizaveta Bathory was a late sixteenth-early seventeenth century Hungarian countess.” Janos explained, “She was also a notorious serial killer. Her nickname was the Blood Countess because she used to bathe in the blood of her young victims—almost all of them young women.”

“Yuck!” Quinn grimaced while Daria’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “Cool.”

“So, Doctor…” Helen inquired, “What else can you tell me?”

“Elizaveta is definitely suffering from amnesia.” Doctor Carlisle reported as he glanced down at his clipboard. “Other than remembering her name, she has no memory of where she came from, who her parents are, or anything beyond right now.”

“What about otherwise?” A concerned Helen asked.

“Other than that, her memory and other faculties are remarkably sharp.”

“Any sign of drug use?” Helen asked, dreading the answer.

“None at all.” The doctor replied as Helen sighed in relief. “No trace of chemicals in her system at all, no physical signs of drug use such as needle tracks or a damaged septum. In fact…” he remarked, “…there’s also no sign of alcohol consumption or smoking—she’s clean.”

“Whew…that’s a relief.” Helen sighed, and then inquired, “What else can you tell us?” 

“She’s bright—very bright.” The doctor said as Quinn rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

“Great…another brain.”

“She performed very well on the intelligence test we gave her, showing a very keen grasp of mathematics and physics as well as possessing good grammar and composition skills and a very vivid imagination. Here…take a look at this brief essay I asked her to write…”

Reading the essay, Helen nodded her head, obviously impressed, “That is good…but a sunset with two suns?”

“I asked her to write something that most impressed her.” The doctor said, “I guess she decided to stretch her creative muscles instead. Still…it does reveal a very active mind.”

“What else did your tests show?” She asked.

“She seemed a little weaker in history and civics.” The doctor said as he showed Helen the questions and answers. “But nothing that couldn’t be overcome with proper education.”

“Anything else?”

“Physically…” The doctor said, “She’s in excellent shape. There are a couple of scars.” He then shook his head as he took out a photograph. “Whoever her doctor was…he or she does excellent work. I could barely see the scars. But here…” He pointed with a pencil at the photograph, “One on her left side…it looks like she might have been near something hot. And there’s another on her right leg. Again, it seems like something very hot hit her, but look…” He said as he pointed to the scar, “Whatever hit her was directed—it’s not what you’d see from a regular burn.”

“What do you think could have caused it?” Helen asked.

“I saw something like this once on a documentary.” The doctor said, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was hit by a laser or something like that.”

“That’s impossible.” Helen snorted.

“Agreed.” The Doctor nodded his head, “Unless she got injured somehow doing an experiment that involved lasers…remember, she’s very bright in both mathematics and physics. She might have known someone who had access to advanced research facilities.”

“Well, that makes more sense than saying that she was hit by a laser gun or something like that.” Helen chuckled. 

“Ms. Morgendorffer?”

“Turning her head, Helen at once recognized her secretary. “Did you find those forms, Felicity?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The secretary replied as she handed the documents to her boss. “Mr. Shechter said that you should be able to obtain guardianship until her parents or other legal guardians are found. Of course, you’ll need to touch base with the police and social services.”

“Honey?” Jake asked, “Are you thinking about taking her in?” He then lowered his voice to a whisper, “It’s hard enough sometimes to take care of Daria and Quinn. Are you sure we can handle another girl in the house? And how will our girls get along with her?”

“Jake…” Helen looked at her husband, her eyes moistening, “Look at her. We can’t just abandon her to social services to bounce from one foster family to another. I can have the court name her as our ward and us her legal guardians until her parents or other legal guardians are found. She’d have a roof over her head and people who love her. And Daria and Quinn will adjust.” Her lips turned up in a warm smile, “Who knows, they might actually like the idea of another sister.” 

Her husband then looked at the lovely blonde teenager sitting on an examination table, idly kicking her legs as the Hungarian intern talked to her. As the blonde girl looked up, she smiled at Jake and Helen. “She does seem like a very nice girl.” Jake said with a smile. He then addressed Quinn and Daria, “Girls? How would you like a sister?”

“Oh joy.” Daria deadpanned, not really pleased with the new development, but willing to take a wait and see posture for now, at least. If she’s another Quinn…the auburn-haired misanthrope thought to herself, _…I’ll get to make her life a living hell as well. Two for the price of one_.” 

“Moooom!” Quinn cried out, her eyes narrowing in angry slits as she regarded the attractive blonde, seeing her as competition, “Where are we going to put her?”

Barely repressing a snicker as she noticed how the new girl was beginning to make her sister jealous, Daria’s lips turned up in a slight grin, “We can always put her in the guest room.”

“That’s a good idea, Kiddo!” Jake exclaimed as Helen smiled and Quinn covered her face with both of her palms. “We’ll need to go furniture shopping though.” He said as he tapped his chin with his right index finger.

“We’ll also need to get her more clothes.” Helen remarked. She then turned to Doctor Carlisle. “How long does she need to remain here?”

“We’d like to keep her for a day or two for observation, but other than that, she’s ready to go.”

“It’ll take that long to get the paperwork through the court and deal with the bureaucratic red tape.” Helen murmured. “All right…we’ll pick her up in a couple of days.” She then walked over towards the blonde teenager. “Elizaveta?”

“Yes.” The blonde smiled.

“How would you like to come and live with us—at least until we find your parents or a legal guardian.” Helen proposed, her lips turning up in a warm smile.

“I’d like that.” Elizaveta grinned.

“Welcome to the family, Elizaveta.” Jake smiled. He then turned to Daria and Quinn, “Girls…say hi to your new sister.”

“Hello, Sis.” Daria deadpanned, “I hope you’ve got a strong stomach—you’re going to need it.”

“Daria!” Helen exclaimed and then addressed her other daughter, “Quinn?”

“Oh…all right, Mom!” Quinn cried out, “Welcome to the family.” She grumbled.

 

_**Two days later** _

“I’m glad Eric was able to get everything fast-tracked.” Helen sighed, as she spoke to her husband, “No birth certificate really makes things difficult.”

“Well, we got a Social Security card for her at least.” Jake remarked encouragingly.

“Yeah…but it’s going to be hell to get her a learner’s permit or driver’s license.” Helen shook her head. She then plastered a smile on her face, “We’ll deal with all that when the time comes though. Let’s get our girl.”

Entering the hospital lobby, Helen and Jake walked together to where Dr. Carlisle sat with Elizaveta taking the seat next to him. “We managed to get the legal paperwork through.” The auburn-haired lawyer announced as she handed copies of the documents to the doctor.

“Thank you, Mr. and Ms. Morgendorffer.” Dr. Carlisle grinned as he turned his head towards the blonde girl sitting next to him, “Elizaveta has been a model patient. There’s no need for medication or anything like that.” He said, “Although I’d like for you to bring her in for follow-ups every three months for now. Hopefully…” He explained, “Some of her memories might resurface.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Helen grinned. Addressing Elizaveta, she asked, “You ready to go now?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Elizaveta replied in a soft voice.

“You can make an appointment at the receptionist’s desk.” The doctor said and then waving his hand, he called out as the Morgendorffers and their newest addition made their way to the receptionist’s desk, “Good luck, Elizaveta.”

After making the appointment, Jake grinned, “Well, Kiddo…you ready to do some shopping?”

“Yes, Sir.” Elizaveta smiled.

“All right...” Jake exclaimed, “First stop…the furniture store.” His face then turned into an angry grimace, “You wouldn’t let me have any furniture, you old bastard!” Jake screamed, “I had to sleep on a cot with no air conditioning or heat!”

Seeing their new ward’s eyes widening with fear at Jake’s outburst, Helen quickly intervened, “Jake…” She said in a soothing voice, “Calm down. You’re scaring Elizaveta. Your father can’t hurt you anymore.”

Calming down, his breath shallow gasps, Jake turned towards a panic-stricken Elizaveta with an apologetic look on his face, “I’m sorry, Kiddo. I just get a little worked up sometimes. Come on…let’s get you set up.”

“It’s all right, Dear.” Helen soothed as she placed a gentle hand on her ward’s shoulder, “Your new father gets a little excitable sometimes, but he’s a good man.” Seeing that hers and Jake’s words were having a calming effect, she grinned, “Let’s go…we’ll get your furniture and clothes and maybe something to decorate your room and then go home.”

As they entered the furniture store, Elizaveta’s eyes immediately fell on a Louis XIV bedroom set. Running towards the display, she asked, “It’s beautiful! Can I have this?”

“I’m sorry, dear…” Helen sighed, although, secretly, she loved the set—especially the king-sized traditional Versailles panel bed, “…but I’m afraid we can’t get it…it’s just too expensive.”

A saleswoman then approached with a smile on her face, “We have a similar set with a less expensive wood.” Lowering her voice, she whispered, “It’s actually more durable and I think better looking than this.”

“You want to take a look at it?” Jake asked.

“Yes, apa…I mean father…” Elizaveta replied.

“Come this way…” The saleswoman said as she led them to the less expensive bedroom set.

“What do you think, Elizaveta?” Helen asked.

“I love it, anya…mother!” The young blonde exclaimed, clapping her hands with glee.

“We’ll take it.” Jake said as he took out his platinum card. “When can you have it delivered and set up?”

“Would tomorrow afternoon be ok?” The saleswoman, already counting her commission, inquired.

“That’ll be fine.” Helen replied. “I’ll be working, but Jake and the girls will be there.”

“Ok, Kiddo!” Jake grinned as the sale was completed, “Next stop—room decorations.”

First checking out a teen store, Elizaveta shook her head, rejecting the Boys are Guys posters with a dismissive snort, doing the same thing as she rejected all the other posters of teen pop groups and stars. Then, spying a store that sold art prints, she asked, “Can we go there?”

“Sure, Sweetie.” Helen smiled.

As they entered the store, Elizaveta immediately spotted a print of Degas’ _The Dance Class_. “Can I have that, anya…apa?” 

“Of course, dear.” Helen, surprised at her ward’s sophisticated taste in art, replied.

Elizaveta then saw a print of Monet’s _Woman with a Parasol_. “Can I have this one too?”

Again impressed at her ward’s eye for art, Helen nodded her head. “Yes.” She further praised, “You have good taste for someone so young.” 

Once again charging the purchase to his platinum card, Jake took the framed paintings. “So, where now?”

“Now…” Helen sighed, “We shop for clothes.”

Entering Cashman’s, Helen was once again surprised at her ward’s choice in clothing. Instead of the usual cute teen fashions, Elizaveta went for a more sophisticated look, picking out a variety of short, mid-length, and long skirts and dresses, jeans, shirts and blouses, and midriff tops. Making their way to the shoe section, Elizaveta tried on tennis shoes, flats, pumps, and then smiled as she spied a pair of high heels.

“You sure you can wear those, dear?” Helen asked, “Those stiletto heels are awful long.”

Nodding her head, Elizaveta put on the high heels and walked in them as if she had done so for years. “Can I have them?” She pleaded.

“Yes.” Helen laughed, “You can have them.” As they made their way to the cashier, Helen turned to Jake and whispered, “Did we adopt a teenager or a woman in a teenager’s body?”

Their shopping completed, guardians and ward, their arms and hands laden with packages and bags, exited the store as three teenagers, a chestnut-haired slender brunette in the lead, closely followed by a slender brunette with pigtails and an Asian girl wearing a dress entered the store. Spying the blonde girl’s nose stud and navel ring, Sandi Griffin remarked caustically, “Did you see her? She pierced her nose and navel…and that outfit…black leather with a bare midriff…definitely unfashionable.”

“Unnnnnfash…aaaaaaable.” The Asian girl, Tiffany Blum-Deckler, drawled.

“I don’t know…” The girl in pigtails, Stacy Rowe, tentatively objected, “I thought she looked good.”

“Stacy!” Sandi barked, immediately causing the other girl to cower in fear, “She obviously doesn’t read _Waif_ because nose and navel piercings and black leather are not in fashion. Everyone knows that pastels are in now.”

“Eep!” Stacy squeaked and then caved, “You’re right, of course, Sandi.”

Her dominance once again asserted, Sandi smiled beatifically on the other girl, “That’s why I’m the president of the Fashion Club and you’re the secretary.”

 

_**The Morgendorffer Residence** _

“Girls!” Helen called out as she, Jake, and Elizaveta entered the house, “Come down here!”

Quinn and Daria both came down the stairs as Jake lugged the last of the packages in. “What did you do?” Daria snarked, “Buy out the mall?”

“We just got some clothes and wall decorations for Elizaveta’s room, Sweetie.” Helen replied, dangling a carrot for her misanthropic daughter, “The offer still stands for us to redecorate your room. Just say the word and we’ll tear down all that padding and take those bars off and get you a proper bed suite just like your sisters.”

“No thank you, Mom.” Daria riposted, “I like the bars and the padding. They make me feel safe.”

Shaking her head at her eldest daughter’s obstinance, Helen instructed, “Elizaveta’s furniture will be in tomorrow afternoon. I need at least one of you here with your father when it arrives.”

“Mo…om!” Quinn protested, “I wanted to check out the mall tomorrow.”

“You can do it later, darling.” Helen countered, her facial expression showing that she would not accept any disagreement. “Right now, we need you and Daria to help Elizaveta put her clothes away and hang her paintings. Now why don’t you two help carry some of the bags. I’ve got to go back to work and finish up some legal briefs. I’ll try to make it back for dinner.” Shaking her head, she remarked, “Me and your father have to take Elizaveta to the high school tomorrow to get her registered.” Sighing, she shook her head, “You two are already set, but it’s going to be difficult registering Elizaveta because she doesn’t have any transcripts or record of birth.”

“Must be nice to be off the grid.” Daria quipped and then, reluctantly, picked up a bag in each hand, “Come on, Quinn…Elizaveta…let’s get you moved in.”

As they hung up the paintings and put Elizaveta’s clothes away, Daria shook her head, “What…no Boys are Guys posters?”

“Why would I want a poster of those idiots?” Elizaveta asked, as Quinn gasped, almost as if the young blonde had committed an act of blasphemy or heresy.

“Why indeed.” Daria quipped, her respect for the newest resident of Chez Morgendorffer growing slightly.

“Just look at that!” Elizaveta gushed enthusiastically as she pointed to the Degas print. “Aren’t those girls so pretty?”

“Yeah…if you can overlook the fact that Degas was an anti-Semite.” Daria quipped.

“Maybe the artist wasn’t such a nice man…” Elizaveta concurred and then riposted, “But that doesn’t mean the work itself still isn’t beautiful.”

“You got me there.” Daria conceded.

As they finished, Elizaveta smiled at her adoptive sisters, “Thank you and I’m sorry…I don’t mean to be a problem or a nuisance.”

“You’re not a problem.” Daria replied, dropping, for now, her sarcasm. “It’s just going to take a little time for us all to adjust.”

Feeling a little guilty at how she’d been treating the newest resident, Quinn said in a low voice, “Yeah. What Daria said.”

“You understand this is most irregular.” Ms. Angela Li, the principal of Lawndale High, said as she examined the paperwork on her newest enrollee. “There are no transcripts…not even a record of her birth. Plus…she’s suffering from amnesia. Are you sure that she should be enrolled here? A special school dedicated to catering to the needs of students like her might be better.”

“The legal documentation has taken into account her lack of identity at this time.” Helen, taking an immediate dislike to the Asian principle, explained. “Also, if you’ll examine her doctors’ reports, they show that her amnesia only extends to where she came from and who her parents are—otherwise, she’s healthy mentally and physically. In fact, if you’ll take a look at her intelligence test scores, they show her to be a very bright, inquisitive, and gifted individual. I’m certain that not only can she do well at Lawndale, she can thrive here.” Taking a deep breath, Helen proposed, “As for her lack of transcripts…why don’t you test her on the subjects she’ll be taking. From her results, you should be able to make an accurate determination as to where to place her.”

Seeing that the auburn-haired lawyer seated across from her had apparently taken into account all possible angles, Ms. Li nodded her head, reluctantly agreeing. “Very well. Ms. Bathory…if you’ll come with me, we’ll test you on what you know.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Elizaveta agreed, then seeing the supportive grin given to her by her guardian, she smiled, “I’ll see you later, anya.”

“I’ll be here, Sweetie.” Helen replied.

After a few hours, Elizaveta returned with her test booklets and answer sheets. “Ms. Li?” She said as she handed the testing material back to the principal.

“Let’s run these through the scantron and see what we’ve got.” Ms. Li said as she passed the answer sheets through the automatic grader. As she examined the results, the principal’s eyebrows rose, “It seems you were correct, Mrs. Morgendorffer. Your ward is quite intelligent. I see no problem in placing her in the sophomore class for the coming term.”

“Thank you, Ms. Li.” Helen’s lips turned up in an insincere smile as she and Elizaveta rose to their feet. “Now that you’re registered, Elizaveta.” Helen smiled, “We should get you back home…your furniture ought to be there by now and I’ve got to get back to work.” Just then, her cell phone rang. Picking it up, Helen sighed, “Yes, Eric. I just got finished registering Elizaveta for school. I’m dropping her off back at the house and then I’ll be in the office. Just give me a half hour or so.” Putting the phone back in her purse, Helen smiled at her ward, “Come on, Elizaveta. Let’s get you back home—you’ve got a big day tomorrow when school starts.”


	2. Friendships Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School starts and friendships are formed.

**_Lawndale High—School Begins_ **

Ignoring the bickering going on between Jake, Daria, and Quinn, Elizaveta looked out the window of the car as it pulled into the front of Lawndale High, her expression one of both anticipation and dread. Would people like her? Would she fit in? Even if, in many ways, she was more a woman than a girl, adolescent fears and doubts still clouded her mind as Jake pulled into the driveway and stopped the car.

“Be good, girls.” Jake said and then addressed Daria specifically, “And Daria…try to make some friends.”

“Not much chance of that happening.” The auburn-haired teenager snarked as she eyed the student body and the cliques.

Exiting the car before her adoptive siblings, Elizaveta tried to ignore their sniping at each other as she walked towards the high school entrance. Her blonde hair, lithe and graceful physique, and her outfit consisting of a blue short skirt, matching blouse, and pumps attracted more than a little attention from the boys as she passed them by. Turning about to see what her adoptive sisters were doing, the blonde teenager smirked as she saw that Quinn had quickly insinuated herself with a trio of girls and that she was already being assailed by three boys ready to do her every bidding. Her eyes now trained on Daria, Elizaveta shook her head as she saw that the elder Morgendorffer sibling was studiously ignoring everyone and in turn, being ignored by everyone.

“New here?”

Turning about, Elizaveta found herself facing an attractive girl with platinum blonde hair and wearing jeans and sandals and a tight cream blouse that enhanced her natural attributes without going too far. Her lips turning up in a smile, Elizaveta answered back, “Yes. This is my first day.”

“I’m Angelica Harmon, but everyone calls me Angie. It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled.

“A navem…my name…is Elizaveta…Elizaveta Bathory.” 

“That’s a pretty name, Elizaveta.” Angie said, “Tell you what…if you’d like, I’ll walk with you to your locker and give you the lowdown on how things work here.”

“Thank you.” Elizaveta smiled as she picked up her book bag and walked with her new friend.

“After Ms. Li gives you her usual speech about doing well and…” She then began an imitation of the principal that caused Elizaveta to laugh, “…contributing to the honor and glory of Laaaawndale High, they’re going to make you go to Ms. Manson for psychological testing.” Angie advised, “Just give the answers the nice quack wants to hear, and you’ll get out ok. Whatever you do, don’t challenge her or give her any lip. If you do, she’ll stick you in Mr. O’Neill’s Self Esteem class and you don’t want that because you’ll be spending after school having to listen to his BS and what’s even worse, watch him cry all the time instead of doing fun stuff.”

As they reached Elizaveta’s locker, the young sophomore fished out her combination lock from her book bag and began stacking her books neatly in the locker. “Anything else I should know?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yeah.” Angie grinned, “Ms. Li loves it when students get involved in extracurricular activities—it makes the old bat look good to the Board of Education.” Her eyes taking in the supple and lissome form of her new friend, Angie proposed, “Why don’t you try out for the cheerleading squad? I’m on the team and I can put in a good word for you with Brittany if you want. She might be an airhead and have a doofus for a boyfriend, but deep down she’s a decent person.”

“I’ve never done any cheerleading…” Elizaveta demurred, “I’m not sure I know what to do.”

“Don’t worry about not knowing the cheers or anything.” Angie replied in an encouraging voice, “We’ll teach you everything you need to know. Except for having to deal with Kevin and some of the other morons on the football team who keep trying to get in your pants, it’s actually a lot of fun.”

“Ok…I’ll try out.” Elizaveta grinned, nodding her head. She then asked, “Who’s Kevin.”

Gesturing with a nod of her head at a dark-haired boy strutting down the hall wearing his football uniform and carrying a football, Angie sighed, “That’s Kevin. Believe it or not, he’s the starting quarterback. He’s also Brittany’s boyfriend, but that doesn’t stop him from hitting on us or anyone else with boobs for that matter.” She grumbled, “I can’t figure out why Brittany puts up with that dumbass. I mean, Britt might be brain damaged, but he’s brain dead as in not a single cell up there.” Gritting her teeth, she warned, “Dumbass approaching.”

“Hey, babes.” Kevin smirked, “How’d you like to go out with the QB?”

“Kevin…” Angie replied, speaking slowly, “…you’re going out with Brittany. She’s your girlfriend. You know what girlfriend means?”

“Yeah.” Kevin grinned, “It means free nookie. But you’re a cheerleader too…you’re supposed to date football players—it’s in the rules.”

Closing her eyes tight in an effort to control her temper and then opening them, Angie once again spoke to the quarterback as if she were talking to an especially slow-witted puppy. “Kevin…we’re not going out with you…understand? Brittany is your girlfriend…you go out with her, not us…got it?”

“Yeah…” Kevin replied, not really getting the message, “So…wanna go to the quarry with me tonight?”

“No, Kevin!’ Angie practically screamed, “Go away!”

“How about you, babe?” Kevin asked, turning his attention to Elizaveta.

“Nyald ki a seggem!” Elizaveta growled loudly as the other students in the hall turned their heads at the use of the foreign language, “Get lost!”

“All right…All right!” Kevin exclaimed as he walked away, totally oblivious to what the two girls were telling him, “We’ll go out another time.”

“Adopted Hungarian sister meets school moron.” Daria, observing the entire scene, snarked to no one in particular, “And Team Hungary wins.” 

“What did you say to that jerk?” Angie asked. Then, as Elizaveta whispered the translation into her ear, she snickered, “You’ve got to teach me how to say that.” Angie then said, “There’s a dance club here too that I’m in…think you might like to join?”

“Yes!” Elizaveta enthusiastically responded, “When does it meet?”

“Cheerleader practice is on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and one Saturday a month.” Angie replied, “Dance club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we get together more frequently if we’ve got a recital or performance coming up. So…you still interested?”

“Yes.” Elizaveta answered with a smile. 

“Great.” Angie grinned as she noticed the new students beginning to gather for orientation. “Cheerleading practice is after fifth period today…don’t worry, Ms. Li will get on the intercom to tell the teachers to let you out of class to go to tryouts. Normally, it’s after school, but we make it earlier on the first day so new girls don’t get into trouble with their parents. Speaking of which…” She advised, “You’ll need them to sign a permission slip, but you can get one of those at the practice this afternoon, and just bring it back signed to Ms. Morris tomorrow. Dance club meets after school tomorrow—you’ll need to let your parents know about that too.” She then suggested, “If they have problems taking you home, I’m sure my mom will give you a lift back.”

“Thank you.” Elizaveta grinned, “But we live pretty close to the school. I can walk.”

“That’s cool.” Angie replied, “The offer still stands though. You better get going to orientation before The Wicked Witch gets mad. I’ll see you in DeMartino’s class.” Sighing, she joked, “Maybe today’s our lucky day and he’ll pop a blood vessel.”

 

As she entered her history class, Elizaveta first noticed the teacher, a middle-aged man with black hair with a grey streak and wearing a shirt with a loosely tied tie and pants. She also noticed how his eyes appeared larger than normal. Then, seeing Daria and Angie, she gave her new sister a friendly wave as she sat down next to her new friend.

“So how did it go with Ms. Manson?” Angie asked in a low whisper as the other students began filing into the classroom.

“I did like you suggested and told the oreg csirke…the old crone…what she wanted to hear and got through just like you said I would…so did Quinn in her own weird way.” Glancing at Daria, Elizaveta shook her head, “Daria refused to play her game, so she put her in that Esteem class.” Smirking, Elizaveta related, “Daria got in some pretty good shots though.”

“I’m glad someone did.” Angie chuckled and then frowned, “Although she’s going to pay for it.”

“Why?”

“Ms. Li or Mr. O’Neill or both of them will call your parents and tell them, so she’s probably going to catch it from them, and she’s going to catch it from some of the ‘popular kids’ around here. I get the impression that she’s someone who doesn’t care…” Angie sighed, “But all that crap can pile up on you if you don’t have a friend to talk to. I hope she finds someone.”

“I do too.” Elizaveta concurred and then shuddered as she saw the last student enter the class. “Oh no!” Elizaveta groaned, “Not him again!”

“Don’t worry.” Angie chuckled, “Mr. DeMartino and Brittany will keep Kevin under control.” Then, seeing that the teacher was getting ready to speak, she whispered. “Class is about to start…now things start getting fun. Wanna bet on the time when DeMartino’s eye bulges? Loser buys the first slice at Pizza King.”

“You’re on.” Elizaveta grinned as the two girls shook hands.

 

“I guess I’m buying.” Angie grinned as class let out. “Should have gone for an earlier time. What with Brittany and Kevin in class at the same time, I’m surprised it didn’t pop out.”

“Is he always like that?” Elizaveta asked, not succeeding in holding back her laughter.

“Yeah.” Angie chuckled, “Can’t say I blame him. Can you imagine being stuck with a class of Kevins and Brittanys every day for the rest of your life.”

“If there’s a hell, that would be it.” A voice quipped from behind the girls.

Turning around, Elizaveta grinned as she recognized her adoptive sibling, “Hi Daria. This is my friend, Angie. Angie…this is my sister, Daria.”

“Hi.” Angie said as she held out her hand.

“Hi back to you.” Daria deadpanned as she took the cheerleader’s hand and shook it.

“We’re going to lunch…” Angie suggested, “Wanna join us?”

“Sorry...I can’t. I’m going to try to see if I can get Mr. O’Neill to let me out of that stupid class.” Seeing the disappointed look on Elizaveta’s face, Daria sighed, “I’ll take a rain check though.”

“Ok.” Angie replied, “Anytime. And good luck with Mr. O’Neill.”

“Thanks.” Daria said as she walked away.

As the duo walked down the hall towards the cafeteria, Elizaveta gritted her teeth as she heard Quinn say that she was an only child to a boy trying to pick her up. 

“What’s wrong?” Angie asked, her face showing her concern for her new friend.

“Did you hear what she said? An only child!” Elizaveta shook her head. “That’s…”

“It’s shitty.” Angie agreed, shaking her head, “She’s trying to score points with the popular crowd and in the process, throws you and her sister under the bus.”

Sighing, Angie remarked as the pair continued to make their way to the lunchroom, “Daria’s not going to get out of that class. She’s already been pigeon-holed.”

“Pigeon-holed?” Elizaveta questioned as the duo walked down the hall towards the cafeteria.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “As far as Ms. Li’s concerned, she’s a troublemaker and the old bat doesn’t like troublemakers. The self esteem class is kinda like…have you ever read _1984_?” Seeing Elizaveta shake her head, Angie explained, “The self esteem class is kind of like Coventry—it’s where Ms. Li sends students she thinks are rebels or troublemakers or slackers—really anyone who gets on her bad side. The idea I think was to turn them into good little drones—kinda like being programmed, but, well, Mr. O’Neill’s so bad at teaching it that it’s become more of a joke—a bad joke—especially to those like your sister who got stuck in it just because she wanted to be called by her name.”

“It’s not fair.” Elizaveta frowned and then changed the subject, “You seem to like reading.” 

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back, “I really like English literature, although I’m pretty good in history. I’m mean…I’m no super-brain, but I carry a B average…” The pair then caught site of Kevin and Brittany making out by the lockers, “Unlike some people here.”

“I’m not so good in history or literature…” Elizaveta pouted and then her frown turned into a smile, “But I like math and physics.”

“Math and science are my weak subjects.” Angie confessed, “I just can’t seem to get all those formulas and equations right in my mind. I’ve never been able to get higher than a C in that subject or science.” She then grinned, “I’ve got an idea. Would you like to get together to study? I can help you out with your history and literature classes and you can help me with my math and science.”

“I’d like that.” Elizaveta smiled.

“Good. I’ll give you a call this evening and we can set up a good time. Maybe we can do it one week in your house and the next in mine.” Entering the cafeteria, both girls pinched their noses, “Whatever you do…” Angie cautioned, “Don’t get the meat loaf and never…ever…get the chili.”

After getting their trays, Angie directed Elizaveta to a table occupied by an African-American couple. “Jodie Landon and Mack Mackenzie.” Angie said, “They’re both good people.” Shaking her head, she sighed, “Jodie’s parents push her too hard. She’s editor of the yearbook, president of the French club, vice-president of the Student Council, and she plays on the tennis team. Added to that, she’s Mack’s girlfriend.”

“Where does she find the time?” Elizaveta gasped.

“Beats me.” Angie replied. “I just hope she doesn’t burn out or have a nervous breakdown before she graduates.”

“What’s her boyfriend like?” Elizaveta asked.

“Mack’s an all-round good guy and captain of the football team. He’s not like Kevin or some of the other oafs.” Angie pointed out, “He’d never even think of cheating on Jodie and does his best to keep Kevin and the rest of the morons from hassling us. Problem is…there’s only one of him and too many of them.” She then pointed towards a table where Quinn was eating, surrounded by her three admirers, ‘Those three guys who your sister has tuned into her personal slaves…they’re also on the team. Joey…Jeffie…and…Jaime…I think that’s his name…I can never get ‘em all right. Not too bright, but harmless.” Approaching their table, Angie asked, “Mind if we join you?”

“Not at all.” Mack grinned.

“Have a seat.” Jodie added. Then smiling at Elizaveta, she commented, “You must be new.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded as she sat down next to Angie. “Ma navem…my name…is Elizaveta. I’m Daria and Quinn’s sister…sort of.” She explained, “The Morgendorffers are my guardians until they find my real parents…whoever they are.”

“You don’t remember?” Jodie asked, her voice one of concern.

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “My anya…Mrs. Morgendorffer…found me a few weeks ago and took me to the hospital. They say I have amnesia…”

“It’s ok.” Angie smiled warmly at her friend, “Maybe one day your memories will come back.”

“I hope so.” Elizaveta sighed, “I mean, I remember a lot of stuff like school subjects and I think I might be Hungarian or my real parents might be Hungarian because I speak perfect Magyar—you’ve probably noticed I slip into it often. But other than that…anything about my past…” She shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it.” Mack grinned encouragingly, “It’ll probably come back eventually, just give it time.”

“Yeah.” Jodie agreed, “So…how are you enjoying your first day of school?”

“It’s not so bad.” Elizaveta smiled, “Angie’s been really nice and I’m trying out for the cheerleading squad and joining the dance club.”

“Good.” Mack nodded his head approvingly, adding in a low voice as he glanced in the direction of Brittany and Kevin, “Brittany’s a good person and believe it or not, she actually does a good job running the squad.” As Angie nodded her head in agreement, he continued, “And just let me know if Kevin or any of the other guys cause you any problems and I’ll take care of it.”

After a good lunch conversation, Elizaveta, picking up her tray and disposing of it along with Angie, saw Daria eating by herself at one of the tables. Frowning, she remarked, “I wish she wouldn’t do that.”

“What?” Angie asked as the pair left the cafeteria.

“Push people away.” Elizaveta sighed. “She can be very funny, you know.” The young blonde sighed, “I just wish she could be more…”

“Open?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “There’s a good person underneath all that armor. I just wish she’d let other people see that person.”

“Well…I wish I knew what to tell you.” Angie commiserated, “But…I guess that’s something she’s got to figure out for herself.” Her smile coming back, she declared, “Last two classes and then tryouts. Get ready for the cry baby and the man hater.” Seeing the confused look on her friend’s face, she explained, “We’re stuck with Mr. O’Neill for literature and Ms. Barch for science. I already told you about Mr. O’Neill breaking out into crying fits.” Seeing Elizaveta’s nod of understanding, she continued, “As for Ms. Barch, you don’t have to worry too much about doing well in her class—as long as you’ve got a vagina and turn in your assignments, you should get a decent grade from her.”

After Ms. Barch had reluctantly let the two girls go when Ms. Li made her announcement regarding cheerleader tryouts, Angie and Elizaveta were walking in the hall on their way to gym. “She really does hate men.” Elizaveta shook her head, “All that red-headed boy did was raise his hand to ask her a question and she made him go to the closet!”

Shaking her head, Angie chuckled, “Well…I can’t blame her for locking up Upchuck. I’d do the same thing if I were in her shoes.”

“Upchuck?”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, her lips turned up in sardonic grin. “The guy’s a total jerk. He comes on to every girl he meets and…” she shivered, “…just thinking about him makes my skin crawl.”

“He’s that bad?” Elizaveta exclaimed.

Angie nodded her head as the pair entered the girls’ locker room. “The thing is, to really understand, you have to experience Upchuck for yourself. Then you’ll understand.” Smiling as they came to their lockers, Angie exclaimed, “Come on…we better get changed or Ms. Morris will be pissed.”

After the tryouts and practice had ended, both Ms. Morris and Brittany were both pleased. “You did ok, for your first day and accounting for the fact that you’ve never cheered before, Elizaveta.” Ms. Morris praised.

“I’ll say!” Brittany exclaimed as she twirled a lock of golden blonde hair. “Congratulations! You’re on the team!” 

“Yes, congratulations, young lady. You can pick up your uniform and permission slip in my office before you go home. Don’t forget to get that slip signed tonight and back to me tomorrow so that you can cheer at our opening home game next week.” She further instructed, “You have to wear your uniform to school on game days, when we have pep rallies, and other special occasions, but otherwise…” She said as she glanced at the head cheerleader who almost always wore her uniform, “You don’t have to. Just be sure that you keep it clean.”

“Yes, Ms. Morris.” Elizaveta acknowledged.

“Told you that you’d make it.” Angie grinned as the other girls on the team congratulated their newest member.

“Thank you.” Elizaveta smiled as she hugged the other girls and gossiped with them for a while until Ms. Morris called for their attention.

“Time to go, ladies!” The teacher announced, “Elizaveta, don’t forget your uniform and that permission slip.”

“My mom’s here, Elizaveta.” Angie grinned, “Why don’t you ride home with us…it’ll give you a chance to meet her. I think you’ll like her.”

Feeling a little tired from her workout, Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement. “Thanks. I’d like that.”

After showering, picking up her uniform and permission slip, Elizaveta walked with Angie to the driveway in front of the school where a woman sitting in a burgundy sedan sat waiting.

“Hi, Mom!” Angie waved as the woman, an attractive thirty-something year old woman with a slender build and wearing sandals and comfortable jeans and blouse got out of the car and waved back.

“Hi, dear. Who’s your friend?”

“Mom…I want you to meet Elizaveta. Elizaveta, this is my mother.”

“Hello, Mrs. Harmon.” Elizaveta smiled shyly.

“Hello, Elizaveta. Are you on the cheerleading squad too?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The young blonde answered.

“She just made the team, Mom.” Angie grinned, “And she’s joining the dance club too.”

“That’s great. So, Elizaveta, who are your parents?”

“I…I…can’t remember who my parents are.” Elizaveta confessed.

“She has amnesia, Mom.” Angie explained, “The Morgendorffers are looking after her until they can find her parents. But other than not knowing who her parents are or where she’s from, she’s ok.”

“I see.” Mrs. Harmon drawled, “Are you seeing a doctor?” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I’m supposed to go back in for follow ups every three months to make sure I’m doing ok. He says that hopefully my memories will come back eventually.”

"She’s really good in math and science, Mom, but not so good in history or literature. So…” Angie pleaded, “We were wondering if it would be all right for us to get together to study during the week. That way, we can help each other out. We were thinking about doing it one week at her house and another at ours—if that’s ok with you?”

“I don’t have a problem with it as long as it’s ok with Elizaveta’s guardians.” Mrs. Harmon decided. Then, her lips turning up in a smile, Angie’s mother asked, “Would you like us to drop you off at your house, Elizaveta?”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” The young blonde replied as she got in the back while her friend joined her mother up front. Arriving minutes later in front of the Morgendorffer house, Elizaveta got out and waved, “Thanks again.”

“Not a problem, Elizaveta.” Mrs. Harmon replied.

“You’ve got my number.” Angie said, “Give me a call and let me know what your guardians say about us studying together and we’ll set it all up. See ya tomorrow.”

As mother and daughter drove away, Mrs. Harmon said, “She seems like a nice girl.”

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back, “I like her.”

 

“Hi apa…anya…Daria…Quinn! I’m home!” Elizaveta called out cheerfully as she entered the front door of her new home. “Mrs. Harmon gave me a ride home from cheerleading tryouts.”

“You tried out for the cheerleading team?” A very pleased Helen responded with a big grin. “Did you make it?”

Holding her uniform in front of her, Elizaveta smiled, “Yes!” 

“Congratulations, Kiddo!” Jake grinned.

“Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!” Daria mocked in a flat monotone.

“Daria!” Helen chided, “I think it’s great that Elizaveta’s getting involved in extracurricular activities and making new friends. It wouldn’t hurt for you to get involved in some activities—yearbook or student paper maybe.”

“I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” Daria deadpanned.

“I’m vice-president of the Fashion Club and they asked me to join the pep squad, but I told them I wanted to wait to see whether I’d have the time.” Quinn boasted.

“That’s great, Quinn.” Helen exclaimed, her smile growing wider.

“Oh…anya…” Elizaveta said as she handed the permission slip to Helen, “Ms. Morris says that I need you or apa to sign this and bring it back tomorrow so that I can cheer at the opening game next week.”

“Of course, Dearie.” Helen replied as she took out a pen and signed the form and handed it back to her ward, “Here.”

“Thank you.” Elizaveta smiled, “I’d also like to join the dance club if that’s all right with you?”

“Of course, it is, dear.” Helen grinned. “I’m so glad you’re getting involved—you too, Quinn.” She then cautioned, “Just don’t overextend yourselves. Don’t forget, you’re going to school to get an education.”

“Ummm…anya…apa…” Elizaveta pleaded, “My new friend, Angie—she’s on the cheerleading squad with me—well—she’s struggling in math and science and I’m having trouble with history and literature. And…since I do really well with math and science and she’s good at history and literature, we were wondering if it would be all right for us to study together each week. We were thinking of having a study session one week here and the next week at her place.”

“What does her mother say?” Helen asked.

“She says it’s ok if it’s ok with you.” Elizaveta grinned, “I’ve got her number. I can enter it on your phone if you want.”

“That’d be nice dear.” Helen answered back as she entered Angie’s mother’s number on her cell phone. “I also think it’s a good idea and very mature of both of you to help each other like that.”

Just then, Helen’s cell phone rang. Expecting Eric, she was surprised to discover that it was Ms. Li. Upon hearing the news that her oldest daughter had to attend a special class because of esteem issues, Helen exploded after hanging up the phone. “Daria! What’s this about you having low self-esteem?”

“I don’t have low self-esteem.” Daria countered, “I have low esteem for everyone else.”

“Daria!” Helen sighed.

Sensing the coming confrontation, Elizaveta cleared her throat. “Anya…apa? Can I be excused? I want to get started with my studies?”

“Of course, Dear.” Helen replied as Elizaveta picked up her plate of mostly eaten lasagna and, taking the plate to the kitchen, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher and then walked up the stairs to her room, doing her best to ignore the shouting coming from the dining room.

Sitting down on the floor with her books, Elizaveta took out her phone and dialed her friend.

“Angie?”

“Yeah, Elizaveta? Did your guardians agree to us studying?”

“Yes, they did.” Elizaveta replied, “Ms. Li also called just like you said she would. They’re still fighting about it downstairs.”

“Damn.” Angie swore, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Sighing, Elizaveta confessed, “Daria’s not doing anything to help the situation. She also wasn’t happy about me joining the squad.”

“Well…” Angie consoled, “You can’t beat yourself up over what she thinks. You’re happy you’re on the squad—right?”

“Yeah!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “I can’t wait to cheer at our first game.”

“Great!” Angie responded, “So screw Daria. You do what makes you happy—you don’t need her approval.”

“You’re right, Angie.” Elizaveta laughed, “Daria can kapd be!”

Laughing, Angie declared, “You know you’re going to have to teach me some Magyar if we’re going to hang out together, right?”

“It’s a deal.” Elizaveta chuckled. “So…when do you wanna come over to study?”

“How’s about tomorrow after dance club?” Angie proposed.

“Ok…” Elizaveta replied, “It’s a date. Maybe apa and anya will let us go to Pizza King afterwards if it’s ok with your mother.”

“I’ll ask her.” Angie said, “But I don’t think she’ll mind.”

“Great!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “Well...I better go now. I want to study for the pop quiz I’ve got a feeling DeMartino’s going to give us tomorrow.”

“Good idea.’ Angie replied, “See ya tomorrow.”

 

Passing Elizaveta’s room, Daria took a quick peek through the half-opened door to find her adopted sister sitting on the floor studying. Shaking her head, the auburn-haired misanthrope retired to her room and dialed a number on the phone, “Hey, Jane?”

“How’s it hanging at Schloss Morgendorffer, Amiga?”

“Quinn’s being obnoxious, Mom’s pissed because I got stuck in that stupid self-esteem class, Dad’s clueless as usual, and Elizaveta’s a cheerleader.”

“So, the Hungarian Goulash made the squad.” Jane deadpanned, “Rah.”

“Well…at least she doesn’t have a vacant look in her eyes and hasn’t started twirling her hair yet.” Daria quipped.

“That’s because the brain cleansing hasn’t taken effect” Jane joked back. “Don’t worry, in a couple of weeks the reprogramming will be complete, and she’ll be another Brittany clone.”

“You wanna make me throw up my dinner, Jane.” Daria then let out a deep breath, “The problem is, since Quinn’s joined the Fashion Mafia and is thinking about joining the pep squad, and Elizaveta’s on the cheerleading team and joined the dance club, Mom’s pushing for me to get involved in something at school. Says it will help build my self-esteem.”

“Can’t steal what’s already been taken away from you.” Jane joked.

“Funny, Lane.” Daria riposted, “This from the girl who’s repeated the class six times.”

“Touché.” Jane chuckled, conceding the exchange and then suggested, “Why don’t you swing on by Casa Lane tomorrow after school? You need a break from your parents and sisters.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Daria agreed. “Walk with me to school tomorrow?”

“Sure. See ya then.”

 

“Ohhh…Stacy!” Quinn all but screamed into her phone, “I’m so mad right now! My cousin Daria got stuck in that loser class and Elizaveta made the cheerleading team.”

“That’s really going to boost her popularity.” Stacy concluded, “But that should help your popularity too. Since your sister’s on the squad, that’ll make you even more popular cancelling out your cousin’s lack of popularity.”

Calming down, Quinn remarked, “You’re right! I’ll be even more popular! Thanks Stacy!”

“You’re welcome.” Stacy replied, smiling at her new friend’s praise. “So…are we all still on for the mall this weekend?”

“As far as I know we are.” Quinn answered back, “Cashman’s having a sale on shoes and I wanna see if I can find something to accessorize my wardrobe. Elizaveta got a pair of high heels and that means I’ve got to get a pair too. Oh…also…Brad wants to take me to Chez Pierre’s this Saturday.”

“Nice!” Stacy sighed, “I’ve got a date with Jeremy…”

“He’s a good choice.” Quinn remarked, “He’s popular because he’s on the tennis team. Going out with him will get you some bonus popularity points.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Quinn said, “Well…I really do have to go now, but thanks for listening.”

“Hey…anytime.” Stacy exclaimed, “Bye! See ya tomorrow.”

 

“Well…Quinn and Elizaveta seem to be doing well at school.” Jake noted as he helped his wife clear the table.

“I’m glad they are…” Helen agreed, “But I worry about Daria. She keeps closing people off—even when—especially when—they want to help her. And I can’t figure out why she got so snippy about Elizaveta joining the cheerleader squad.”

“Well…Daria’s never been much of a joiner.” Jake pointed out. “At least she’s no longer hanging out with those two morons she hung out with at Highland.”

“Thank God!” Helen exclaimed. She then shook her head, “Daria’s problem is that sometimes she can be so…I don’t know what’s the best word…dogmatic? Yeah…” Helen nodded her head, “Dogmatic. In how she thinks people should behave. It’s like she doesn’t think that someone like Elizaveta can have a sharp mind and also want to be a cheerleader.”

“So…” Jake, grasping his wife’s point, remarked, “…you’re saying that she’s prejudiced.”

“In some ways…” Helen nodded her head, “…yeah.”

“So…what can we do?”

Sighing, Helen replied, “Be there for her.”

Smiling, Jake hugged his wife, “That’s a given, honey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part and probably the next one will take place during the episode "The Esteemsters." While I try to stay within the spirit of canon, there are times I have to deviate slightly due to story developments. I've tried the best I can to capture Daria and Jane's deadpan sarcastic delivery, but I'll admit I don't always get it right.
> 
> I'm also portraying Helen and Jake in a sympathetic light. They genuinely love their daughters and try the best they can to do right by them, it's just that sometimes, they miss the mark. I'm also portraying them as a couple who love each other very much.
> 
> For story reasons, I'm also disregarding any mentions or references to Star Trek in the Daria series.
> 
> Finally, (yeah, I'm kind of pushing my other works), to get a better background of my conception of Elizabeth Shelby and why this is her second chance for love in the form of Elizaveta Bathory, you might want to read my Star Trek: Sutherland stories at www.unitedtrek.org "Blind Ambition" is a short story that will give you good background for this story.


	3. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizaveta and Angie make dates with a couple of boys and form a friendship with Jodie and Mack as their friendship grows closer.

Four teenage girls walking to school on a sunny late-summer especially warm Maryland morning wouldn’t normally attract that much attention from anyone who wasn’t a teenage boy, but, looks can be deceiving. The girl in the lead was an attractive blonde wearing tennis shoes, and t-shirt and blue jeans and carrying a bookbag. She walked with a lithe gracefulness and confidence, her lips turned up in a slight smile as she enjoyed her stroll. The girl behind her was about a year younger and had red hair and wore a pink shirt and jeans and also walked with confidence. However, where the first girl’s poise seemed to come naturally, the younger girl’s seemed more of a front—an image that she projected to those around her. 

Two teenage girls, one wearing red jacket, black shirt, shorts, and tights, and the other wearing a brownish shirt, green jacket, knee-length skirt, and boots, walking side by side brought up the rear of the procession. Both studiously ignoring the girls in front of them and projecting a ‘don’t give a damn what you think’ attitude to anyone in the area, engaged in quiet conversation.

“So…your mom and dad still riding you about the class?” Jane asked, referring to the self-esteem class Daria had just recently been forced to attend.

“Yeah.” Daria grumbled, then her lips turned up in an evil grin, “But I’m going to find a way to turn it to my advantage. If I have to suffer.” She snarked as he eyes focused first on Quinn and then on Elizaveta, “They do too.”

 

Smiling as she saw her friend at the front doors of the school, Elizaveta waved and called out, “Jó reggelt, Angie…good morning!”

Waving back, Angie replied, trying to imitate her friend’s greeting, “Jo reggelt, Elizaveta.”

“Almost got it…” Elizaveta chuckled and then explained, “You need a little more accent and drag out the g a bit more. Like this…” She said, slowly and carefully pronouncing the syllables, “Jó reggelt.”

Angie repeated the greeting, this time it right, “Jó reggelt.”

“Very good!” Elizaveta praised 

“And that’s our Magyar phrase for the day.” Daria quipped, “Be sure to use it in a sentence.”

Turning to her adopted sisters and Jane, Elizaveta offered an olive branch, “If you want, I can teach you some Magyar too.”

“No thanks, I have enough trouble with English.” Jane replied.

“Why would I want to learn that language? It sounds like gibberish.” Quinn whined, “If I’m going to have to learn another language, it’s going to be something romantic like French or something like that.”

“Maybe later.” Daria shrugged her shoulders noncommittally.

“Well…whenever you want to…” Elizaveta replied as she picked up her book bag and turned to her friend, “Come on, Angie. I need to get that permission slip to Ms. Morris.” Turning back to Daria and Quinn, she waved, “I’ll see you later!”

“Yeah…later.” Daria replied.

Seeing the rest of the Fashion Club, Quinn turned to Daria. “We don’t know each other—got it?”

“My silence will cost you twenty dollars.” Daria declared, opening negotiations.

“Five dollars.” Quinn countered.

“Ten dollars and you do the dishes on a night of my choice.”

“Seven fifty and I do the dishes.” 

“Deal.” Daria agreed as money changed hands.

Watching as the younger Morgendorffer rushed to her fellow fashionistas, Jane quipped, “You know you could have gotten ten and gotten her to take out the garbage.”

“Yeah…but I want to keep a bargaining chip in the future with the dishes and seven fifty’s enough to buy pizza after school tomorrow.”

“Why not tonight?” Jane asked.

“I’ve got plans for tonight.” Daria replied with an evil grin.

“Is that like…your sister…Quinn?” Sandi asked as Elizaveta and Angie walked past the Fashion Club.

“Yeah.” Quinn replied, “That’s Elizaveta. She’s a cheerleader and she hangs out with popular people like Mack and Jodie.”

“Oh…” Sandi exclaimed, nodding her head approvingly, “That’s cool.”

“Yeah…” Tiffany drawled, “That makes her popular…”

“Not like them.” Sandi snarked, her eyes focused on Jane and Daria. 

“Definitely not like them.” Stacy quickly agreed.

“Your sister’s fashion sense has improved…but it still needs some work…” Sandi sniffed, “However, she shows promise.”

“Maybe I should get her a subscription to _Waif_ for Christmas…” Quinn mused.

“That would be considerate of you, Quinn.” Sandi concurred.

Overhearing the Fashion Club giving their stamp of approval on her friend, Angie quipped, “Well…how does it feel knowing that you show fashion promise, Elizaveta?”

“Who cares what those posers think.” Elizaveta snorted. “I wear what I want to when I want to.”

“Works for me.” Angie laughed. “So, what are you going to do with that subscription to _Waif_?”

“I can always use it for toilet paper if anya and apa forget to restock.” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders as they approached their lockers. Seeing Brittany walking alone in the hall, Elizaveta called out to her, “Hey Brittany!”

“Oh, Hi Elizaveta…Angie!” Brittany squeaked as she twirled a lock of hair, “Have you seen my Kevvie? He was supposed to meet me before class.”

“Did you check the gym?” Angie asked.

“No! I didn’t think of that!” Brittany exclaimed, “I’ll go look there! Thanks!”

“I hope he’s not cheating on her again.” Angie shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she told Elizaveta, “We try to look after Brittany—well most of us do. Although there are one or two bitches on the squad—you’ll recognize them when you see ‘em.” 

“I think that’s true wherever you go.” Elizaveta said in a sympathetic tone.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “Anyway, because Kevin doesn’t have anything resembling a brain in his skull, Little Kevin tends do all the thinking and I’m afraid one of these days Brittany’s going to get hurt.”

“Well…” Elizaveta declared as the homeroom bell rang, “We’ll just have to look out for her then, won’t we?”

 

“So…” Angie grinned, “Cry or faint and when? Loser buys the pizza.”

“Faint.” Elizaveta replied, “After Daria grosses him out with her answer to one of his questions.”

“I’ll go with cry—after Brittany screws up the answer to a simple question.”

“It’s a bet.” Elizaveta said as she and Angie shook hands.

“So, what are the Barbie Twins shaking hands over?” Jane asked.

“Who cares?” Daria responded.

Lounging on his desk, Mr. O’Neill asked in his usual soft, cloying voice, “So class, can anyone tell us what Dickens meant when he opened Tale of Two Cities with the quote ‘It was the best of times…it was the worst of times…”

Beating Daria to the punch, Angie raised her hand. “Yes, Angie?”

“This ought to be worth a laugh.” Daria muttered to Jane.

“The quote works best when you read it full.” Angie declared, further explaining, “That the period he was writing about—the French Revolution—was a time of dangerous paradoxes: an age of wisdom and an age of foolishness; the season of Light and the season of Darkness; the spring of hope, the winter of despair. The Revolution brought liberty from the Old Regime, but also brought the horrors of the Terror. The best of times…the worst of times.”

After she’d finished, Angie looked Daria straight in the eyes, her lips turning up in a smirk as she took her seat once again.

“Very good, Angie!” 

“Damn.” Daria murmured, “Didn’t see that one coming.”

“Brittany…” Mr. O’Neill smiled while inwardly dreading her answer, “Can you name another book that Dickens wrote?”

“Ummm…A Christmas Carol?”

Shocked at Brittany actually answering the question correctly, Mr. O’Neill immediately slumped down to the floor in a faint.

“Draw?” Elizaveta deadpanned as the class looked down on the prone figure of their English teacher.

“Draw.” Angie chuckled.

“What did they put in the cheerleaders’ water today?” Jane asked as a slight smile appeared on her friend’s face.

 

Elizaveta let the music flow through her as she danced, Angie dancing next to her, the pair in perfect harmony as Ms. Defoe and the other students watched. Then, as they came to the end of their dance, the two took each other’s hands and finished with a flourish, twirling each other.

“That was beautiful.” Ms. Defoe clapped, “Angie…you were great! Elizaveta you must have danced before. Where did you learn?”

“I…I don’t remember.” Elizaveta replied in a soft voice. “I can’t remember anything about my childhood.”

“I’m sorry, Dear.” Ms. Defoe apologized, “I forgot.” Her smile then grew wider as she addressed both performers, “Your moves complemented each other so beautifully and you were so in sync.” Taking a breath, she pleaded, “There’s a routine I’ve been working on…right now it’s only on paper because I’ve never been able to find the dancers who could pull it off, but…I think you two could. Would you be willing to work with me on it?”

Both girls looked at each other and then nodding their heads once, turned back to the teacher, “We’d love to, Ms. Defoe.” Both of them replied in unison.

“Great.” The fine arts teacher grinned, “We’ll begin working on it our next session.” She then turned to the other dancers, “Ok…who’s up next?”

 

“Wow!” Angie exclaimed as the pair entered Pizza King. “You were great!”

“So were you.” Elizaveta smiled. “Don’t forget—Ms. Defoe said it was both of us that makes it work.”

“Makes what work?” Mack, sitting down in a booth with Jodie, asked.

“Let us get some pizza and we’ll join you and tell you all about it.” Elizaveta replied.

“Sure thing.” Jodie grinned.

Returning with pizzas and sodas, the two dancers sat down with the other couple.

“So…what are you two up to?” Jodie asked.

“Ms. Defoe has this dance routine she wants us to perform.” Angie explained, “She said that she’s been waiting for two dancers who could compliment each other just right to make it work.”

“And you’re those two dancers?” Mack quipped good-naturedly.

“Yep.” Elizaveta replied as she took a bite from her pizza and then washed it down with a drink from her soda.

“When do you think you’ll be putting it on?” Jodie asked.

“Don’t know.” Elizaveta responded as she took a bite of her cheese pizza. “We’re going to have to see how it looks on paper and then work through the steps and then bring in the music and…it can be awhile depending on how complicated the routine is.”

“Kinda like learning a new football play.” Mack nodded his head. “You gotta get it down on paper and then get it down in your head before you even try it out in scrimmage—much less in an actual game.”

“Or learning a new cheer or routine.” Angie agreed with a chuckle, “You know…some students like Daria look down their noses at us because we cheerlead or play sports, but they don’t understand that if you don’t put some thought in learning cheers and routines or plays, you’re in trouble.”

“Yeah.” Mack nodded his head. “All four of us are in sports or cheerlead and we’re all holding at least B averages…in Jodie’s case an A. We’re not dummies…” Just then, the door opened and in walked Kevin and Brittany, both still wearing their uniforms. “Well…” Mack amended with a sour expression on his face, “…most of us aren’t.”

“Hey, Mack Daddy!” Kevin grinned as he and Brittany approached their booth.

“Kevin…what did I tell you about calling me Mack Daddy?” Mack sighed in exasperation.

“Not to call you that?” Kevin replied.

“That’s right, Kevin.” Mack nodded his head. He then plastered a smile on his face, “What are you and Brittany up to?”

“We just came back from the movies.” Brittany squeaked as she twirled a lock of her hair.

“Was the movie good?” Elizaveta asked.

“Ummm…I didn’t get to see too much of the movie…” Brittany confessed, “Me and Kevvie were too busy making out.”

“And on that note.” Angie quipped, “We need to be going…right, Elizaveta?”

“Yeah, Angie.” Elizaveta replied, picking up immediately on her friend’s hint. “We have to go study. We’ll see you later.”

“That’s right…” Jodie whispered, her smile showing that there was no maliciousness in her words, “…you two throw us under the bus.”

“Sorry…” Angie shrugged her shoulders, smiling as well to take the sting out of her words, “It’s everyone for themselves.”

 

“I hated to leave them like that…” Angie confessed as the two girls approached the Morgendorffer residence, “But we really do have to get in some study time. DeMartino and Barch are having quizzes tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “We’ll make it up to them—maybe treat them to a movie or something?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Angie grinned.

“We’ll see if we can set up tomorrow—maybe this weekend?” Elizaveta proposed as she opened the front door.

“Works for me.” Angie replied. Looking about, she noted, “Looks like everyone’s gone.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Let me check and see if anya or apa left a message. Finding a note on the counter, she called her friend over. “Anya left a note. She says that they all went to Pizza Forest because Daria said it would help her with her esteem issues.”

“Daria’s torturing them.” Angie chuckled.

“What?” 

“Pizza Forest.” Angie laughed, “You know…it’s the place where you take little kids on their birthdays and all…they serve pizza and their waiters and all dress up in those stupid animal costumes and sing stupid songs and try to get you to sing with them.” She then shook her head, “Looks like you dodged a bullet. I have a feeling you were in Daria’s sights too.”

“Good thing we decided to go to Pizza King first rather than coming straight home.” Elizaveta smirked. “Well…we better get to work. If we’re not studying when they get home, it’s not going to be pleasant.”

“Good idea.”

A few hours later, the two girls, both sitting on the floor of Elizaveta’s room with opened books and notebooks sprawled in front of them, heard the front door open and Quinn’s shrill, “Thank God that’s over!” They then heard the sound of feet stomping up the stairs and Quinn’s door slamming shut.

“Well…I guess your folks are back home.” Angie grinned.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled. She then heard Helen’s voice, sounding strained.

“Elizaveta, dear, are you up there?”

“Yes, anya!” Elizaveta called back, “I’m in my room studying with Angie.”

“That’s good, dear.” Helen answered back, “Did you two eat?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Elizaveta shouted back, “We’re good.”

“Ok.” Helen replied, “Don’t be too late. You’ve got school tomorrow.”

“We won’t anya!” Elizaveta responded, “I just want to help Angie with a couple more equations, then we’re going to call it a night.”

“Ok, dear.”

A few minutes later, Elizaveta caught sight of Daria about to enter her room. “Miss me, Daria?” She asked in a sweet voice.

“I’ll get you next time, Sis.” Daria snarked.

“Gotta be quicker.” Elizaveta riposted with a chuckle as Daria’s lips turned up in an evil grin.

 

“Jó reggelt, Angie.” Elizaveta greeted. “Nem szép nap…Isn’t it a beautiful day?” She grinned, “You say…igen, ez az…yes, it is.”

“Jó reggelt, Elizaveta, igen ez az.” Angie replied with a smile.

“Very good!” Elizaveta praised, “You’ll be speaking fluent Magyar in no time.” As the pair walked to their lockers, Elizaveta and Angie both waved at and greeted fellow students and were greeted and waved at in return as Quinn and Daria, also walking to their lockers with their friends, took notice of their sister’s rise in status within the school hierarchy.

“Wow…Elizaveta and her friend are getting really popular.” Quinn noticed. 

“Yeah…she is.” Stacy agreed as the two Fashion Club members.

“You know…” Quinn said, “I was worried at first…I mean I thought she was going to try to steal my dates, but she hasn’t made any moves on the J’s or Skylar or Brad.’ She chuckled, “I think the guys might be to scared to ask her out.”

Just then, two handsome teenage boys, one with dark hair and the other sandy blond, both wearing good quality pants and shirts, approached the two blondes. “Hi.” One of the boys said, “I’m Mark and my friend is Derek. We just came by to say hello.”

“Hi.” Angie smiled back, “I’m Angie and my friend’s name is Elizaveta.”

“Hi.” Elizaveta grinned.

“Ummm…” Mark began as the two now amused girls waited, “…we were wondering if you two might be interested on going out on a date with us? Nothing heavy…just a movie and maybe some pizza afterwards?”

Glancing at her friend, Angie raised an eyebrow. After a moment’s thought, Elizaveta nodded her head slightly, giving her consent. “Sure.” Angie grinned, “We’d love to…but it’d have to be next weekend. We’ve already made plans for this weekend.”

“Next weekend’s cool.” Mark replied as Derek nodded his head. “We’re on the tennis team and we’ve got practice this Saturday anyway.” Taking out a small notepad, He jotted down his and Derek’s phone numbers as Angie and Elizaveta jotted down theirs. “We’ll give you a call and set everything up—ok?”

“Sounds good.” Angie grinned, “We’ll talk to you later.”

As the two boys left, Angie asked her friend, “You sure you’re ok with going out with them?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, “They seem like nice boys, and it’s just a movie and pizza. Long as they understand that the best they’re going to get is a good night kiss on the cheek, I think it’ll be ok.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Angie grinned, “I’m not looking for a steady boyfriend or anything like that, but movie and pizza’s cool.”

“Whoa!” Quinn exclaimed to her friend, “Did you see that? Elizaveta and Angie just scored dates with two boys on the tennis team!”

“That’s really going to boost their popularity!” Stacy gushed, “Maybe we should get them to join the Fashion Club?”

“Maybe…” Quinn mused as idle thoughts of using them in a coup attempt against Sandi entered her mind. “It’d be nice.”

“Drive the stake through my heart now.” Daria groaned.

“What’s the big deal?” Jane shrugged her shoulders, “The Barbie Twins got dates…so what.”

“Now Mom’s going to be riding me even harder.” The auburn-haired teen sighed, “What makes matters worse is that I can’t really blame Elizaveta.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s not doing it to get under my skin like Quinn does.” Daria confessed, “That’s what’s so infuriating.”

 

Closing her locker and locking it, Elizaveta asked, “You ready for Ms. Bennett’s math test?”

“Yeah.’ Angie replied, “I think I’ve got everything. PMDAS…right?”

“Right.” Elizaveta grinned. “Remember that and you’ll get through it.”

“You set for DeMartino?” Angie asked.

Elizaveta nodded her head, “Last night’s session helped a lot.”

“Me too.” Angie smiled. “Well…let’s go get ‘em!”

 

“So…how’d you think you did on Ms. Bennett’s and Mr. DeMartino’s quizzes?” Mack asked as Angie and Elizaveta sat at their usual table with the African-American couple.

“I’m feeling pretty good about Ms. Bennett’s.” Angie grinned, “I was worried about a couple of the equations, but then I remembered what we worked through last night and I think I got ‘em.”

“And I was worried about the questions dealing with the leadup to the Civil War, but the studying we did last night helped me to put everything in focus. I don’t think I got an A, but I’m sure of a B.” Elizaveta stated with a grin.

“Same here.” Angie nodded her head, “I can live that, seeing that my highest score to date has been a C+.”

“Looks like you two got a working system.” Jodie remarked with an envious note in her voice.

“You and Mack can join us if you like?” Elizaveta offered.

“Yeah…” Angie agreed, adding as further incentive, “We like to fuel up at Pizza King first before hitting the books.”

“We’ve been making bets before class starts and whoever loses the bet has to buy the first slice.” Elizaveta quipped.

“So…that’s what the two of you have been doing when you shake hands before class.” Mack chuckled. “What are some of the things you’ve been betting on?”

“When DeMartino’s eye bulges for the first time and who causes it…” Angie smirked.

“I won that one.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Never bet against Kevin screwing up.” 

“I won the bet we made on which boy would get slammed first by Barch.” Angie laughed, “Sorry, Mack, but the pizza fund appreciates your contribution.”

“Yeah…” Mack shook his head in embarrassment, “But at least I didn’t get thrown in the closet like Upchuck.”

“This is true.” Elizaveta agreed. Addressing her next remarks to Jodie, she pointed out, “It’d give you at least a little time to wind down. We know you’ve been stressing.”

“You can say that again.” Jodie sighed, “But you know…it just might work. I think I can sell this to Mom and Dad.”

“Great!” Mack beamed, his facial expression showing his gratitude to the two blonde girls seated across from him. “You think you could get your parents’ ok for next week?” He asked his girlfriend.

“I think I can.” Jodie nodded her head.

“Terrific.” Angie exclaimed. “We meet at Pizza King every Wednesdays after cheerleader practice and then switch around where we study. Next week we’ll be at my place…”

“I think I can get Mom and Dad to agree to let us study at our house after that.” Mack offered.

“Mom and Dad will most likely go along with us holding the session after that at our place—in fact…” Jodie sighed, “They’ll probably insist on it just be sure that we’re really working and not playing.”

“Oh…we do our playing before and after…” Elizaveta quipped, her lips turning up in a wicked grin.

“This’ll give you a chance to at least have a little time…” Mack told his girlfriend as he kissed her cheek.

Jodie smiled, “Thanks, guys.” Her lips then turned up in a wicked grin of her own, “I hear you two got dates with Mark and Derek.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “They seemed like pretty good guys.”

“It’s nothing major.” Elizaveta added, “Just pizza and a movie.”

Nodding her head, Jodie advised, “They’re ok—so long as you don’t go out more than two or three times with them. After that…their dates get a bit more expensive and they begin to expect a bit more. If you’re cool with that—no problem…” She said, “They know what the word ‘no’ means, so you don’t have to worry about that. But…just a heads up.”

“Thanks. We appreciate that.” Angie replied as Elizaveta nodded her head. “I can’t speak for Elizaveta, but I’m not looking to get involved right now.”

“Same here.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “So…looks like one or two dates and that’ll be it for them.” Rolling her eyes, she cursed, “Baszd! I’m sounding like Quinn!”

Laughing, Angie joked as Mr. O’Neill passed by their table, “Better be glad I’m the only one who understood what you just said.” She then quipped, “Elizaveta has a potty mouth. O’Neill would have fainted dead away if he knew what she just said.”

Looking at his watch, Mack sighed, “Lunchtime’s over…Guess we better get on to Barch’s. I don’t want to contribute any more to the pizza fund.” 

As the little group stood up and picked up their trays, Ms. Li’s voice came through the intercom, “Students of Lawwwnnnndale High…instead of your last period class, we will be meeting in the auditorium for a special assembly to honor two graduates of Mr. O’Neill’s Self-Esteem class. Attendance is mandatory.”

“Looks like Daria and her friend got side-swiped by the law of unintended consequences.” Angie quipped.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “She found a way to get her and Jane out of that stupid class but didn’t take into account O’Neill and Li wanting to make a big deal about it.”

 

As the students filed into the auditorium, Elizaveta and Angie waved at Jodie and Mack who had already taken seats towards the back, close to the edge so that they could make a quick getaway. Taking the seat behind Jodie as Elizaveta sat behind Mack, Angie tapped Jodie on her shoulder. “We got the same idea you did…”

“Get out as soon as possible.” Jodie nodded her head. 

Shaking her head, Elizaveta remarked, her voice tone reflecting her sympathy for her adopted sister, “This has got to be hell for Daria. It’s cruel of them to put her through this just so they could puff their chests out.”

“Yeah.” Mack nodded his head, “You can tell Coach Gibson’s not happy about being here either.” He nodded toward the coach slouching on one of the chairs behind the podium.

Jodie snorted, “The assembly’s probably keeping him from meeting up with his bookie.”

“Probably.” Mack nodded his head and then, discreetly pointed at a red-headed girl with boys on either side of her, “Is that your other sister, Elizaveta?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “That’s Quinn.” She then snickered, “I’ve got a feeling she’s not happy about being here.” Then, turning her attention towards where Daria was sitting on stage, she smirked, “I’m getting familiar with that look. It means she’s up to something.”

Gesturing with her head at Ms. Li who was making her way to the podium, Angie whispered, “Looks like the show’s about to start. The Wicked Witch is about to speak.”

The foursome, on seeing and hearing Jane’s speech all began laughing until Daria took to the podium. As the point of Daria’s speech started to become clear, Elizaveta began to snicker, then as the auburn-haired teenager continued building towards the climax, Elizaveta’s snickers became chuckles as she was joined by Angie and then once Daria played her last card, humiliating Quinn by calling her sister, Elizaveta, now laughing, said in a loud voice that immediately attracted the attention of those around her, “Halj meg nekem!”

On hearing that, Angie also started laughing out loud, adding, “én is.”

“What are you two saying?” A frustrated Jodie turning about in her seat, asked.

Between fits of laughter, Elizaveta translated hers and Angie’s words, causing both Jodie and Mack to shout out in unison as they joined in the laughter, “Us too!”

Later that evening, back in the Morgendorffer house, Elizaveta heard a knock on her door. Opening it, she was surprised at the person standing before her, “Daria?”

“I’ve just got to know…” Daria asked, “What the hell did you say at that assembly that made everyone in the back laugh?”

As Elizaveta answered her sister, Daria’s lips turned up in a smile, “That’s a good one, Sis.”


	4. Teaming Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie and Elizaveta, along with Mack and Jodie, enjoy a day at the park and then team up with Daria and Jane to fix a problem in the girl's bathroom.

As Elizaveta slept, she dreamed. Her dreams an incoherent jumble except for one image—that of a beautiful dark-haired woman with a wicked grin and what looked like spots on either side of her neck. While her image remained in her mind, the mystery woman’s name continued to elude her as she dreamed. Then, as her alarm clock rang, she awakened. Glancing at the clock, she saw the time: Seven in the morning. Grumbling, she made as if to pull the covers back over her only to hear Jake’s cheerful voice calling from downstairs.

“Get up girls! Omelet day today! Better get down while everything’s fresh and hot.”

“Pee, wash up, and get dressed first.” Elizaveta grumbled, feeling the pressure on her bladder as she got out of bed, putting on a short silk baby-blue robe that barely covered her buttocks. Stepping out into the hallway, the young blonde saw that Daria was already standing next to the closed bathroom door.

“Quinn?” Elizaveta asked, nodding her head once at the door.

“Who else.” Daria grumbled. “Don’t you feel drafty?”

“Nope.” The young blonde replied, her lips turning up in a crooked grin. “Too busy trying to keep from peeing on the floor.”

“Hurry up, Quinn!” Daria banged on the door. “Line forming! The rest of us have to pee too!”

“All right! All right!” The door flung open as Quinn, wearing a towel around her, dashed out.

“Go on…” Daria told Elizaveta, “You look like you’ve gotta go more than me.”

“Thanks!” Elizaveta exclaimed as she dashed into the bathroom slamming the door shut and not slowing down until she was safely seated on the toilet and finally able to relax. Feeling much better now that her business was concluded, Elizaveta flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Then, exiting the bathroom, she smiled at Daria, “All yours.”

After putting on a t-shirt and gym shorts and slipping into a pair of flip-flops, a still groggy Elizaveta moseyed down the stair and into the kitchen when the aroma of fresh brewed coffee immediately caught her attention.

“Hey, Kiddo…” Jake began only to be silenced by Elizaveta’s upraised hand as she made for the coffee pot and, after pouring a dollop of cream into her mug, filled it with fresh brewed coffee. Taking a sip of coffee, the young blonde apologized, “Sorry, apa, but I can’t function without at least one cup of coffee…”

“I know what you mean.” Jake laughed, then his teeth clenching, he exploded, “But I couldn’t have fresh coffee! Corporal Ellingbogan would only let me drink warm water! No coffee or milk or orange juice for Little Jakey!”

“Apa…”

“Jake!” Helen’s sharp voice quickly calming down her husband, she put her arm around his shoulders, “You’re not at that horrible school anymore…” She cooed.

“I’m ok now, honey.” Jake relaxed. Then turning his attention to Elizaveta, he smiled, “Grab yourself an omelet and some orange juice. Paper’s right here.”

“Thanks, apa…anya…” Elizaveta grinned as she helped herself to breakfast, and then, sitting down, opened the paper to the news section as the other Morgendorffer siblings made their way down the stairs.

“Come and get it, girls!” Jake called out as Daria grabbed a cup of coffee along with her breakfast while Quinn settled for low-fat yogurt and orange juice.

“Trade you the editorial page for the news when you’re done.” Daria said to Elizaveta.

“Sure.” The blonde replied as she turned the page.

“So, what have you girls got planned today?” Jake asked.

“Fashion club meeting at Sandi’s.” Quinn replied.

“I’m going over to Jane’s.” Daria answered back.

“Angie just got her license, so she’s coming by to pick me up and we’re going to meet Mack and Jodie at the park.” Elizaveta responded. “Angie was saying that we’re not going to have too many really nice sunny days like this with fall coming in, so we better enjoy it while we can.”

“That’s a good idea.” Helen commented, nodding her head. She then asked, “So how do you girls think you did on your quizzes?”

“The usual.” Daria replied, her voice tone revealing her irritation at even being asked that question.

“Ummm…ok…I guess…” Quinn responded as her mother let out a breath of air.

“Pretty good.” Elizaveta smiled. “Studying with Angie helped me with my history and English lit.”

“Good.” Helen smiled, “I look forward to seeing your graded exams.” Just then, her phone rang, “Yes, Eric. Can it wait? I know…we need to file those depositions first thing Monday morning.” Sighing, she promised, “All right, I’ll be in. Just give me a couple of hours to have breakfast and get changed and I’ll be in the office.” Slamming the phone down, she swore, “Dammit!” Sighing, Helen apologized, shaking her head, “I’ve got to take care of some stuff in the office that won’t wait for Monday. I’m not sure when I’ll be home.”

“That’s ok, dear.” Jake smiled, “I’ll have dinner waiting.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Helen muttered as she grabbed her purse and car keys, “You girls have fun and be good.”

“I’ve got to get changed.” Elizaveta said as Quinn made a similar excuse.

“Well…” Jake smiled at his oldest daughter, “Looks like it’s just you and me, Kiddo.”

“Ummm…” Daria drawled, “I’ve got to get changed and go to Jane’s, Dad. I’ll see you later.”

After changing into a pair of denim short-shorts, light blue crop top, socks and tennis shoes, Elizaveta put on her nose stud and navel ring, which, in Lawndale were one of a kind as they were studded with Terellian diamonds. Then, picking up her phone, she dialed Angie’s number.

“Hey, Angie! I’m ready whenever you are.”

“I’ll be at your place in ten minutes.” Angie replied, adding, “I’m bringing a picnic basket with some of the Colonel’s finest, rolls, and cole slaw.”

“Great.” Elizaveta said, “I’ve got the drinks, but we’ll need to get ice for the cooler.”

“Not a problem.” Angie answered back. “We can stop off and get some on the way. I’ll see you in a few.”

“Ok. I’ll be waiting outside.”

Picking up the cooler, Elizaveta left the room at the same time that Quinn left hers.

“That’s a nice outfit.” Quinn praised as she joined her adopted sibling at the top of the stairs. “That cropped top works with the cutoffs.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta politely smiled, “You’re looking good too.”

“You know…” Quinn ventured, “You ought to consider joining us in the Fashion Club.”

“Ummm…” Elizaveta responded, not wanting to hurt the younger girl’s feelings, “…I’d like to, but I don’t have the time right now between cheerleading and dance.”

“Oh well…” Quinn exclaimed as they walked down the stairs, “…I guess those activities do take up a lot of time. Maybe another time?”

Opening the front door, Elizaveta replied with a neutral, “Maybe…have fun with your friends.”

Setting the cooler down on the curb, Elizaveta sat on it and waited as Daria exited the house. “Going to Jane’s?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yeah.” Daria replied as Angie’s car pulled up.

“You know…” Elizaveta offered, “You and Jane are welcome to join us.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. Too much direct sunlight and I might spontaneously combust.” Daria replied sarcastically as she turned to walk away. “I’ll see you later.”

Shaking her head as she opened the rear door and put the cooler on the back seat, Elizaveta, remarked to her friend, “I can’t figure her out. One moment, she’s friendly…well friendly for Daria, that is…and the next…cold.” Closing the rear door, she opened the passenger’s side door and sat down, buckling up, she sighed, “Weird morning.”

“Other than Daria running hot and cold, what other sort of weirdness is going on at Chez Morgendorffer?” Angie chuckled.

“Well…apa had another one of his flashbacks.” Elizaveta reported with a laugh, “Anya has to come into the office again, and Quinn invited me into the Fashion Club.”

“That is funny.” Angie chuckled, “Wonder why the Princess of the Fashion Divas would want you to join their little circle?”

“Who cares.” Elizaveta snorted, “She’s got a scam going—I know that.” Elizaveta further elaborated, “The one thing I’ve learned since coming in to live with my folks is that everyone’s working a con of one sort or another. I just try to stay out of the line of fire as much as possible. That way…” Her lips turned up in a crooked grin, “I get to watch the inevitable train wreck from a safe distance.”

Chuckling, Angie quipped, “Sometimes there are advantages to being an only child with a single mom.”

“What happened to your apa—if I might ask?” Elizaveta tentatively inquired.

“It’s ok.” Angie’s laughter died down to be replaced by a sad smile. “My father was killed in an auto accident by a drunk driver when I was ten. He was a great dad.” She reminisced, “He loved to laugh, and he had a great—and sometimes weird—sense of humor. On Christmas morning, he’d come into my room and do his Santa imitation and sometimes he’d put on those silly glasses—you know the ones with the nose and mustache? And he’d do his Groucho Marx imitation. He was always there for me and mom. She hasn’t had the heart to even go out on a date since he died.”

“He sounds like he was a great father.” Elizaveta said wistfully.

“He was.” Angie nodded her head.

“I wish I could remember my real apa and anya…” Elizaveta sighed.

“You will…one of these days…” Angie consoled, “The memories will come back.”

Deciding to confide in her friend, Elizaveta took a deep breath, “I had a dream last night. I couldn’t make out any of it or remember anything about it but one thing. There was a face…I can still remember her. A woman…she was attractive…I’d say in her twenties…maybe thirties. She had long black hair and what was really weird…she had I guess they were tattoos…they were spots on either side of her neck.”

“Wow! Did you tell your parents?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “Everything was so confused this morning and besides…all I remember is her…I don’t even know her name. She could just as easily be something from my imagination rather than a memory. Right now, I don’t want to get mine or anyone else’s hopes up. So…for now…I’d prefer if you don’t tell anyone about what I just told you”

“Yeah…I can see that. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone—we’re friends and friends keep each other’s secrets.” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile, “You know if you need anyone to talk to…”

“I’ll come to you first.” Elizaveta smiled, “Same thing…if you ever need to talk to me…”

“I will and thank you.” Angie gave her friend a gentle pat on her thigh and then changed the subject, “The nose stud and navel ring are pretty—where did you get them?”

“I had them on when I was found.” Elizaveta sighed, “I don’t wear them at school or around the house because they freak out anya and apa, so I put them on when I go out like now or at night I put them on for a while so that the piercings don’t close.”

“Well…I think they look good on you.” Angie smiled, “I wish I could get my mother to let me get pierced. I’d like a navel ring like yours, but I’m not too sure about one in my nose. Does it hurt or anything?”

“No.” Elizaveta replied, “Of course, I don’t remember getting pierced in the first place so…”

“Yeah.” Angie laughed, “Well…doesn’t matter anyway. Like I said, Mom’ll never go for it.”

“Well…maybe you can get her gradually used to the idea.” Elizaveta suggested as Angie pulled into a Quickie Mart that sold ice.

“Maybe.” Angie replied as the girls got out of the car and entered the market, “It couldn’t hurt…” She then sighed as they each picked up a bag of ice, “I’m going to have to take it slow with her though. I don’t want to force the issue. Maybe if she sees you wearing them and gets used to you with them…” She suggested as she paid for the ice.

“That might work.” Elizaveta responded as the pair carried the ice back to the car and dumped it into the cooler. Then, as both girls got back in the car and Angie started the engine, Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders, “It’s worth a shot at least.”

 

“So... the Barbie Twins are at the park with Jodie and Mack.” Jane commented as she attacked her easel with a paint brush, her subject this time being Mr O’Neill being devoured by a zombie horde of Brittanys and Kevins.

“Yeah…” Daria nodded her head, “She invited us to join them.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she forced herself to admit, “Elizaveta’s not that bad, Jane. At least she acknowledges me as her sister and hasn’t done anything to intentionally get me mad, unlike Quinn, and she does have a cool last name.”

“I guess you’re right.” Jane’s lips turned up in a grin, “I suppose anyone named after the Blood Countess can’t be all bad.” She chuckled, “But Barbie Twins is just too good a nickname to pass up for her and her friend—I mean they’re blonde…good looking…and cheerleaders…how could I resist.”

Laughing, Daria agreed, “Yeah. It is too good a nickname.”

 

“Hi guys!” Angie called out to Jodie and Mack as she and Elizaveta hauled the cooler and picnic basket out of the car.”

“Let me give you a hand with that cooler.” Mack offered as he easily picked up the cooler and carried it to a spot underneath an oak tree that he and his girlfriend had staked out. “So…I brought along a football and a couple of frisbees…I figure we can toss the frisbees around for a while and maybe later on some two-on-two touch football.” He then tossed the frisbee to Elizaveta who then tossed it to Jodie who then tossed it to Angie and then back to Mack. For over an hour the four friends tossed the frisbee, running after it and generally having a good time until, their stomachs growling, the decided to break for lunch.

As Jodie set out a cloth on the ground for them to set their food, Angie and Elizaveta set out the chicken, cole slaw, rolls, and potato salad while Mack brought out four Ultra-Colas.

“I needed a day like today.” Jodie sighed as she bit into a drumstick. “Things are starting to gear up now—I’m probably not going to have too much free time soon.”

“Could you maybe give up French club or some other activity?” Elizaveta asked.

“No.” Jodie shook her head, her lips turned down in a sad frown. “The moment I did that, my parents would be all over me telling me how I need extracurriculars to get in a good college like Crestmore—I don’t even want to go there.” Jodie moaned as she took a sip of cola from the can by her side. “Besides…I’m only a sophomore. I’ve got three more years of high school to go—I’d like to enjoy at least a little of that time.”

“That sucks.” Angie swore as she forked some cole slaw and then put it in her mouth. “Don’t they understand that if they push you too hard, you’ll burn out?”

“I don’t think they care…” Jodie sighed, “All they’re seeing in me is what they want to see and they’re not going to stop until I’m what they want me to be—what I want doesn’t matter.”

“Well…” Mack grinned, trying to cheer up his girlfriend, “We’ve got today at least to unwind and have fun.” He then shook his head, “I’ve heard a rumor that Ms. Li’s having security cameras installed in the hallways.”

“Bathrooms too.” Jodie groaned, “She says it’s to catch any dealers…”

Angie quipped with a derisive snort, “She wants to catch the dealers, all she has to do is step off campus. She’s just a pervert who’s hoping to catch us doing stuff in the bathroom—what sort of stuff, I’ll leave to your imaginations.” Her lips then turned up in a wicked grin, “C’mon, Elizaveta—we already know what you’re thinking—you know you wanna say it--so—out with it.”

“Nyald ki a seggem Li!” Elizaveta cursed, obliging her friend. “If I could, I’d take that camera down and piss on it.”

“That’d definitely send a message.” Jodie laughed, “Problem is, she’d send the urine to a lab for a DNA analysis.”

“Do you mind if we postpone the football game for an hour or two?” Elizaveta asked as she opened up a bottle of sunscreen and applied it to the parts of her body that she could reach. Then, she laid down on a beach towel. “After that lunch, I just want to lie down and enjoy the sun.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Angie said as she took out a towel and laid it down next to Elizaveta. “Tell you what…I’ll do your back if you do mine.”

“Deal.” Elizaveta said as she turned over to give her friend access to her back. Taking the sunscreen, Angie applied it to Elizaveta’s alabaster skin and then began rubbing it in, her lips turning up in a slight smile as she heard the soft moans of pleasure coming from Elizaveta as she continued to rub her back, and then her arms and legs that she wasn’t able to reach on her own.

“My turn.” Angie chuckled as she handed a pouting Elizaveta the bottle of lotion and laid down prone on her towel. Straddling her friend, Elizaveta repeated the process on Angie, also smiling as her fellow blonde was practically purring at the attention. Finished, she put the lotion up and, returning to her towel, let the sun’s rays bathe her body.

Smiling as they watched their friends’ antics, Jodie remarked to her boyfriend as she handed him a bottle of suntan lotion, “Looks like they have the right idea.”

“Your wish is my command.” Mack grinned.

The four teenagers never noticed that another teenager, this one a boy with red hair and freckles, was watching them from the cover of a clump of trees. Taking out a camera with a telephoto lens, he began snapping pictures of the two blondes as they were massaging each other with suntan lotion.

“Grr…Feisty.”

 

As evening approached, Angie pulled her car up to the curb in front of the Morgendorffer house. Getting out of the car and taking out the cooler, Elizaveta smiled at her friend, “I’ll see you at school, Angie.”

“See ya, then!” Angie replied.

Walking back to the house, Elizaveta set down the cooler and then opened the door. Dragging the cooler back in, she noticed Jake sitting down in front of the television set with a martini glass in his hands. Walking up to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, “Everything all right, apa?” She asked, her face etched with concern.

“I’m ok, Kiddo.” Jake smiled, “I was just feeling a little down. You think I’m a good father—don’t you?”

Wrapping her arms around her adoptive father, Elizaveta gave him a hug, “I think you’re the best. You and anya took me in without knowing anything about me and you’ve given me nothing but love, and Daria and Quinn love you—even though they might not say it. Now…what brought all this on?”

“I just don’t want to be like my father.” Jake said in a soft voice.

“You’re not. Your saying that proves you’re a better father.” Elizaveta replied as she put her arm around her father and snuggled up closer to him, “So…what are we watching?”

Smiling as she entered the house and saw Elizaveta and Jake asleep on the couch, Helen gently tapped Elizaveta on the shoulder, awakening her. “Sssshhh…” She whispered, “You go on to bed…I’ve got him. And…thank you.”

“Thank Daria and Quinn too…” Elizaveta whispered, “They stayed with him for a while when I had to take care of some stuff.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Helen promised, “Now…go on and get some sleep.”

Sitting down next to her husband, she gave him a kiss. “You know I love you, Jake.”

Smiling, he kissed his wife back, “I love you, too. We’ve got three lovely girls.”

“I know.”

 

Standing in front of their lockers before homeroom, Elizaveta smiled at her friend, “I had fun at the park this weekend.”

“I did too.” Angie grinned, “You’re pretty nimble—the way you dodged Mack and scored the winning touchdown.”

“You’re pretty quick yourself.” Elizaveta praised, “You showed some pretty good moves getting by me.”

Angie quipped with a laugh, “We’ve both got it.” As the two girls were laughing, Brittany came up to them.

“Hi, Elizaveta…Angie.”

“Hi Brittany.” Angie smiled, “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to let you know that my parents won’t be home next weekend, so I’m planning on throwing a party and you’re both invited.”

“Thanks, Brittany.” Elizaveta grinned, “We’ll be there.” Rolling her eyes as the bell rang, Elizaveta sighed, “Another day at Lawndale High.”

“Elizaveta!” Mr. DeMartino, his eyes wide open, called out, “Who came up with the idea of issuing the Monroe Doctrine?”

Remembering their last study session, Elizaveta answered, “John Quincy Adams, the Secretary of State.”

“Very good, Elizaveta.”

“Ummm…Mr. DeMartino?” Kevin raised his hand.

“Yes…Kevin…” The history teacher replied in an insincerely sweet voice.

“If this Adams dude came up with it, why do they call it the Monroe Doctrine?”

“Can you help Kevin with the answer Angie?” Mr DeMartino sighed.

“Because Monroe was President at the time.”

“What was Monroe President of?” Kevin then asked as Mr. DeMartino’s eye turned red and bulged.

“Looks like I’m buying again.” Angie whispered.

 

The bell signaling the end of history class, the two girls dashed into the bathroom only to be confronted by Ms. Li’s security camera. Once she was sure that the camera could not see her, Elizaveta held up her middle finger and stuck out her tongue.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” A voice quipped from behind them.

“Jane?” Elizaveta said as she and Angie turned about to see the artist and her friend.

“Li’s gone too far here.” Angie swore. “It’s one thing having these damned things in the hall—but I don’t want the Wicked Witch watch me going to the bathroom.”

“Me neither.” Daria replied.

“So…what are we going to do about it?” Jane asked.

Smirking, Elizaveta asked, “Jane…do you have some black spray paint?”

Seeing what the young blonde was planning, Jane’s lips turned up in a wicked grin. “Not on me, but I can get some easy enough.”

“You realize that’s only a temporary solution.” Daria commented, “She’ll just replace the lens.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta grinned, “But I’m betting those lenses are expensive while black spray paint is cheap. She replaces the lens—we spray the next one until she finally gets the message.”

“We’ve got to make sure that whoever’s spraying it stays out of the camera’s field of view or she’s wearing a really good disguise.” Angie pointed out, “Otherwise, we’re talking suspension at a minimum.”

“We’ll need a ski mask and a way to hide the eyes…” Jane suggested, tapping her chin with her finger.

“How about reflective lenses?” Elizaveta asked.

“Good idea.” Jane nodded her head, “I can get a pair from Trent or one of his friends.”

“A thick coat with padding will disguise the person’s figure. We’ll also need baggie pants.” Angie recommended.

Daria nodded her head. “I can get both.”

“So…who does the honors?” Jane asked.

“I will.” Elizaveta said. “My idea—I take the fall if we get caught.”

“So…when do we do it?” Angie inquired.

“Tomorrow morning…before homeroom.” Elizaveta decided. “Me doing the spraying, Angie, can you help me get ready once we get in?” Seeing her friend nodding her head in assent, the young blonde spoke to Jane and Daria, “Can you two keep the door blocked long enough for us to get the job done?”

“We’ll do our best.” Daria replied, “But make it quick.”

“All righty then.” Jane smirked, “Operation Blackout commences 0730 tomorrow.”

 

Outfitted in the padded coat, baggy pants, ski mask, and gloves and with her eyes covered by reflective lenses, Elizaveta took the can of black spray paint and sprayed it all over the camera, making sure that the lens got extra treatment. Quickly stripping of the disguise as Angie put it into a carry bag, along with the spray paint, the two blondes sauntered out of the bathroom, handing the bag off to Jane as Daria ripped off the “Out of Order’ sign on the door.

“Mission accomplished.” Angie whispered as the two teams split up in opposite directions.

As the students sat in Mr. DeMartino’s homeroom and either talked quietly among themselves, read, drew, or did homework, Ms. Li’s voice, edged with fury, came through the intercom. “Acts of vandalism and destruction of school property will not be tolerated at Lawwwnnnndale High. The perpetrator or perpetrators of this morning’s vandalism in the girls’ restroom this morning will eventually be apprehended and severely punished.” Ms. Li threatened as Mr. DeMartino tried to stifle his growing laughter, putting his hand over his mouth as cover.

“What happened?” Kevin asked his girlfriend.

“Someone spray painted the camera in the girls’ bathroom.” Brittany replied, “I wish I knew who they were so that I could thank them. That thing was creeping me out.”

“Me too.” Jodie agreed, her lips turning up in a slight grin as she caught out of the corner of her eyes the flat and innocent expressions on the faces of the two blondes sitting together and then similar expressions on the faces of Daria and Jane. “Guess it’s true what they say about common causes bringing people together.” She whispered under her breath.

“How did it feel working with the Barbies?” Jane asked.

“Not bad.” Daria whispered back, her lips turning up in a smirk.

“Yeah.” Jane nodded her head, admitting, “It was kinda fun. Maybe I’ve misjudged them.”


	5. Home Opener

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the home opener for the Lawndale Lions and Elizaveta's cheerleading debut.

“Your father was looking for the coat and pants he uses for duck hunting—none of you would know anything about that, would you?” Helen asked the three teenage girls sitting at the dinner table as Jake snored on the couch.

“Sorry, Mom.” Daria replied with a straight face, “First I’ve heard of it.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Elizaveta answered back, “I didn’t even know apa went duck hunting, anya.”

“He doesn’t.” Helen replied, “He got those on sale a few years ago back when we lived in Highland and wanted to be one of the guys.”

“Wasn’t that the place where you went to school with those two hülyék, Daria?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yeah.” Daria nodded her head, “Even Kevin’s brighter than those two idiots put together.”

“Someone…” Quinn’s eyes darted from Elizaveta to Daria as she spoke, “…spray painted that camera that Ms. Li put in the girl’s bathroom. I wish I knew who they were…” Her eyes again darted between her two sisters, “Because I’d tell them thank you. Putting that thing in there was just…yech!”

“Speaking as a lawyer and officer of the court…” Helen declared in a severe tone, “I’d have to tell whoever did it that vandalism is a crime and could carry severe penalties.” Her expression then softened, “But as a woman, I’d tell them that I’m proud of them for not allowing such a horrible invasion of privacy to take place. I would hope though…” The expression of a stern and concerned parent once again appearing on her face, “…that if she does it again, the perpetrator or perpetrators…instead of taking matters in their own hands, would first go to a responsible adult such as myself—right?”

“I’m sure that in the future they will, Mom.” Daria answered back.

“If it happens again, I’m sure they’ll come to someone like you first, anya.” Elizaveta added.

“Good.” Helen nodded her head, smirking inwardly as she recalled seeing that empty can of black spray paint in the garage.

 

“So beautiful…” Ms. Defoe praised as Angie and Elizaveta practiced her routine. “You two have learned the steps very quickly.” She said as the two dancers wiped the sweat off their bodies.

“Do you think we’re ready to bring in the music?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yes.” The fine arts teacher nodded her head. “I was thinking about this…” She said as she played a jazz tune that exuded sensuality with a touch of eroticism.

“Oh…” Elizaveta sighed, “That’s perfect.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed in a sultry voice, “That will go perfectly with the dance.”

“Great.” Ms. Defoe grinned, “We’ll bring it in next practice. “For now, though…” She then clapped her hands, signaling the other girls to join, “It’s time to work on that chorus number. Ready?”

After the practice had ended, one of the other girls, Jennifer, came up to Elizaveta and Angie. “Are you girls really planning on doing that number?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta grinned, “Why?”

“Well…” Jennifer stammered, “It’s just so…I mean…it’s like you’re about to…”

“That’s how it’s supposed to look, Jennifer.” Angie chuckled, “It’s a very sensual dance.”

“Well…wouldn’t it work better with a boy?” Jennifer asked.

Giggling, Elizaveta answered back, “Not really. First, how many boys do you see here? That’s right…none. The boys here are too afraid of being seen taking a dance course. Two, it really does work best with two girls or women. You wouldn’t have the same smoothness if it’s a boy and girl.”

“Ok…” Jennifer shook her head, “I guess…”

Waiting until their fellow club member had walked far enough away to not overhear their conversation, Angie snorted, “Wonder what that was all about?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Elizaveta answered, “Don’t know. I think Ms. Defoe’s program is great. I can’t wait to perform it live.”

“Me neither.” Angie grinned, “C’mon, let’s go. We don’t want your folks to have a conniption fit because you’re late.”

 

“That’s a good practice, girls!” Ms. Morris clapped her hands. “Elizaveta…you’ve caught on quick.”

“I’ll say!” Brittany squeaked as she curled a lock of hair, “You sure you haven’t cheered before?”

“Not that I know of.” Elizaveta replied.

“Well…” Ms. Morris interjected, “If you haven’t, you’re a quick learner. So…Brittany…Angie…you think she’s ready to be on the first team?”

“Yes!” Brittany enthusiastically exclaimed.

“Definitely.” Angie quickly agreed, flashing her friend a warm smile.

“All right then…Elizaveta, you’re on first team.” Ms. Morris declared, further instructing, “Girls…remember to wear your uniforms tomorrow. We’ve got the pep rally and the home opener against Oakwood. Be sure to bring your families to watch you and cheer on the team.”

“So…you think your family’ll come to the game?” Angie asked as she drove Elizaveta home.

“Apa, anya, and Quinn will.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “But I’m not counting on Daria showing up and I’m not going to bribe her to go to the game like Quinn does to get her to do things. If she doesn’t want to come—I’m not going to make her.”

“That’s weird that everyone in your family bribes everyone else.” Angie chuckled.

“Tell me about it!” Elizaveta sighed, “But it’s like I said, everyone’s working a con of some sort of other. Best thing to do is to not get involved—less likely to get caught up in the explosion that way.”

“I guess every family has its quirks.” Angie grinned and then sighed, “With us…it’s Mom’s mother who’s constantly on her to go out.”

“Well…it’s been what? Six years since…” Elizaveta trailed off, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…”

“It’s ok.” Angie sighed, “I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. And yeah…I’d like for Mom to find someone nice who’ll make her happy, but she’s not in a rush…and it’s not like she’s sitting at home moping over pictures of Dad or anything like that. It’s just that she doesn’t want to go out. I think she believes that she found the perfect man and anyone else would be just a copy.”

“I can understand that, I guess.” Elizaveta pondered, “I know I wouldn’t want someone to push me into a relationship when I wasn’t ready.”

“Exactly.” Angie nodded her head. “That’s why I’ve never been serious about any of the guys I’ve dated at Lawndale—none of them interest me enough—not even those guys we’re going out with tomorrow.”

“Same here.” Elizaveta agreed. “None of the boys at Lawndale seem even remotely interesting—I’m happy leaving them to Quinn and the other girls on the squad.”

“Well…” Angie grinned, “Maybe one of these days we’ll find that perfect someone.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back as the friends enjoyed a companionable silence until they pulled up in front of the Morgendorffer house, “Well…I’ll see you tomorrow, Angie.”

“Pick you up in the morning, Elizaveta!”

 

“I made first team!” Elizaveta called out as she entered the front door.

“Way to go, Kiddo!” Jake praised, getting up out of his chair to give his adopted daughter a hug.

“That’s great, dear.” Helen smiled as she looked up from the work she had brought home from the office, “Isn’t it girls?”

“Yeah.” Quinn grinned as she saw her popularity soar even higher, “Congratulations.”

“Rah.” Daria deadpanned as she got up and walked up the stairs.

“Don’t mind Daria.” Quinn shook her head, “She’s just jealous.”

Shaking her head, Elizaveta went into the kitchen and fixed herself a plate of warmed over lasagna. “I don’t know what her problem is.” She muttered as she poured herself a glass of iced tea before sitting down at the table with her meal. “I know she’s not big on joining, but it’s like she’s hostile to any sort of school activity…”

“I don’t know…” Helen shook her head, “I wish I knew what to tell you.”

“It’s all right, anya.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a sad smile, “I didn’t really expect Daria to come to the game, but you all will be there—won’t you?”

“Of course, we will, dear.” Helen replied with a grin, “We wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Pausing for a few moments before Daria’s door, Elizaveta heard Quinn’s voice, for once supportive, “Good luck, Sis.”

“Thanks, Quinn.” Elizaveta smiled back and knocked on the door.

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” Daria’s voice answered as Elizaveta opened the door.

“May I come in?”

“Your funeral.” Daria quipped.

“What do you have against me being a cheerleader?” Elizaveta bluntly asked as she took a seat on the edge of Daria’s bed.

“You can do whatever you want.” Daria replied, “You don’t need my approval.”

“That’s right—I don’t.” The young blonde flatly responded, “But you still haven’t answered my question. What do you have against the cheerleading squad?”

“Other than it being composed of mostly airheaded morons? Daria countered, “Maybe because it props up a corrupt system based on popularity which in turn is based on participation in sports instead of academic ability.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Elizaveta muttered softly to herself, and then aloud, “Most of us on the squad are anything but airheads. We’re carrying everything from high C to B+ averages. We might not be in Jodie’s or yours or Upchuck’s league grade-wise, but we’re not dummies either.” 

“Brittany.” Daria riposted.

Elizaveta sighed, “Brittany’s a special case. We look after her because well…you’d have to know her to understand why we do. While she isn’t how do you phrase it? The sharpest knife in the drawer?” Seeing Daria’s nod of the head at her correct use of the phrase, Elizaveta continued, “She can surprise you sometimes. And…while she sometimes has the same problem keeping her panties on that Kevin does keeping Little Kevin in check…” As she said that, a slight smile crossed Daria’s face, “She’s a good person at heart and actually does do a good job leading us.”

“You still haven’t addressed my point about the system being corrupt.” Daria countered, returning the debate to its central theme.

“Perhaps it is. Like when Li went too far with those kibaszott cameras.” Elizaveta conceded, “And yeah, it is unfair how you’ve been treated—especially by Quinn. You have every right be angry. But…” She added, “What have you done to make the situation better?”

“What do you mean—what have I done to make the situation better?” Daria bit back.

“I meant just that.” Elizaveta replied, adding as a parting shot as she exited the room, “I think perhaps you enjoy playing the martyr too much.” 

 

“It’s just a stupid game, Jane.” Daria said over the phone, “One group of morons knocks the other group senseless trying to cross a line and then they line up and do it all over again.”

“Don’t you get it, Daria.” Jane quipped back, “It’s the beating each other senseless part that’s fun to watch.”

“There is that.” Daria conceded. “But why should I support a system I don’t believe in?”

Jane sighed, “Daria…you’re not going to support the system…you’re going to support your sister.”

“So…you’re going?” Daria quickly countered.

“Yeah.” Jane responded, her answer surprising her friend.

“Guess I’m going too.” Daria sighed.

 

“Looking good!” Angie grinned as Elizaveta, wearing her blue and yellow cheerleading uniform and carrying her book bag, opened the passenger side door and slipped on to the passenger’s seat of her friend’s car.

“You’re looking good too.” Elizaveta replied as she buckled up. 

“Hey…” Angie quipped, “We’re both hot babes.”

“I won’t argue with that.” Elizaveta laughed. “Daria’s coming to the game.”

“How did you manage that?” Angie asked as she drove the car the short distance to the school.

“It wasn’t me or anya or apa.” Elizaveta confessed, “I think it was Jane who talked her into going.”

“So…ready for our double date tomorrow?” Angie teased.

“I guess so.” Elizaveta replied as Angie parked the car in the student parking lot. “I mean, Derek’s nice, but…”

“Yeah…” Angie nodded her head, “Same deal with Mark. Still…” The blonde teenager giggled, “Better than staying at home on a Saturday night.”

“This is true.” Elizaveta chuckled as the pair made their way to the high school’s front entrance. 

“Fashion drones at twelve o’clock.” Angie quipped as Sandi, along with two of her disciples, Stacy and Tiffany, approached the two cheerleaders.

“Excuse me…Quinn’s sister or whatever…” 

“Yes…Quinn’s friend or whatever…” Elizaveta retorted, earning a stifled giggle from Angie. “What do you want?”

“As president of the Fashion Club…” Sandi drew herself up, “It is my privilege to extend membership to you.”

“Sorry…” Elizaveta replied, her lips turned up in a sardonic grin, “Too busy with other things. Besides, I don’t join any club without my friend…” The young blonde said as she glanced at the girl standing next to her. With an impish twinkle in her eyes, she then proposed, “You know you could join the dance club. Of course, that would mean that you’d have to wear leotards and we get pretty sweaty working out…”

“Ewwww…” Tiffany and Stacy both grimaced, “Leotards…Sweat…”

Laughing as they left a nonplussed Sandi and her cohorts behind, Angie groaned to her friend as she clutched her arm dramatically, “Must have coffee…brain cells dying…”

“Score one for the Barbies.” Jane quipped as she and her amiga watched the exchange.

“Yeah…but that only counts for half a point.” Daria countered as the pair walked towards their locker, “It was just Sandi and the fashionistas they snarked on—that’s still minor league. They’re not up to our level of sarcasm yet.”

“Don’t look now…” Angie quipped, her eyes focusing on the camera as the pair approached their lockers, “But we’re on candid camera.”

“Can’t do anything about that one.” Elizaveta whispered in a low voice, “Too many people and I promised anya I’d go to her first.”

“Guess we can’t win ‘em all.” Angie whispered back. She then asked, “Did your mom find out?”

“I think so.” Elizaveta whispered, “She didn’t come right out and say it—but I think she knows. She didn’t like the idea of a camera in the bathroom either.”

“Well…as long as we can pee in peace, I’m not going to complain too much about the ones in the hallway.” Angie conceded in a low voice.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head and then raised her voice, “Brittany and Kevin coming.”

“Angie! Elizaveta!” Brittany squeaked as she twirled a lock of her hair.

“Hey girls.” Kevin, wearing his jersey and pads, called out with a stupid grin on his face.

“Hey Kevin…Brittany…” Angie and Elizaveta grinned.

“Ready for the big game?” Kevin asked as he pumped his football in the air, “We’re going to kick Oakwood’s ass!”

“You know we are.” Angie grinned.

“We’re going to knock them in the dirt.” Elizaveta agreed.

“Go Lions!” Brittany cheered as her two fellow cheerleaders joined her.

“Getting psyched for the big game?” Mack exclaimed as he and Jodie joined the little group.

“Yeah, Mack Daddy!” Kevin replied, eliciting a grunt from the football team captain.

“How many times have I asked you not to call me that?” Mack groaned.

“Sorry, bro.” A completely clueless Kevin responded.

“How’s the team looking?” Angie asked, addressing her question to Mack.

“Pretty solid.” The team captain replied, “We had a good practice and Kevin actually managed to memorize the new plays Coach drew up.”

“Congrats on making first team, Elizaveta.” Jodie praised as she put her books up in her locker.

“Yeah!” Brittany exclaimed, “She’s fitting right into the squad.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta grinned, her cheeks turning slightly red at all the praise, “But Angie and Brittany really helped me with learning the cheers and routines.”

“We’re a team.” Angie declared as Brittany nodded her head in agreement, “We all stick together.” She said as she held out her hand.

As Brittany, Elizaveta, Kevin, Mack, and Jodie all put their hands on top of each other, they all shouted out at the same time, “Go Lions!”

“Rah.” Daria snarked as she and Jane watched the scene. “Why is it that when you put more than two cheerleaders together, the IQ level in the entire room drops?” 

“It’s a contagious disease.” Jane outwardly agreed, while inwardly, a part of her wished that she could be there with the people that she and her friend were mocking.

As the two cheerleaders walked to their class, Quinn’s three followers, all wearing their football jerseys, passed them by going in the opposite direction. “Hey, Angie…Elizaveta.” One of the three, the dark-haired one, called out, waving at the girls.

“Hey, Joey…Jeffie…Jackie…” Angie called back.

“Jaime.” The third one corrected as the object of their affections came up to them. “Quinn…can I carry your books?” Jaime asked.

“Can I carry your pencils?” Joey pleaded.

“Can I carry your scrunchie?” Jeffie begged.

Laughing, Angie quipped as the pair walked into Mr. DeMartino’s classroom, “You sister’s got those three well trained.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “And she does it without having to use a whip—at least I don’t think she uses a whip.”

“Quinn a dominatrix!” Angie guffawed, almost doubling over, “That I’ve got to see!”

“Hmmm…” Jane smirked as she took out her sketch book and pencil and began to furiously sketch.

“Jane…” Daria sighed, “You’re not…”

“Oh…I am, amiga.” Jane snickered, “I am.”

 

**_The Home Opener_ **

“Dammit! If we don’t hurry all the good seats will be taken!” Jake called out as he led his family up the steps to a row of empty seats in the bleachers. 

“Watch where you’re going, old man!” A teenage boy growled after Jake had bumped into him.

“Dammit!” Jake cursed as he was hit in the back of the head by a peanut. Turning about, he made ready to toss his entire bag at the boy only to be restrained at the last moment by his wife.

“Jake! He’s just a kid. C’mon! Let’s get our seats1”

Jake and Helen sat down next to each other with Daria sitting next to her father while Quinn, waving a Lawndale Lions pennant, sat next to Helen.

“Hey, Daria.” Jane said as she sat down next to her friend.

“I’m surprised you came.” Daria murmured.

“And miss the opportunity to watch Kevin do something stupid?” Jane quipped, causing her friend’s lips to turn up in a slight smile. “Besides…” She grinned as she took out her sketch pad, “Plenty of opportunities to do some drawing.”

“Okay, girls!” Brittany squealed, “All together now!” Brittany held out her hand with the other girls on the team putting theirs on top of each other. 

“Go Lions!”

Led by Brittany, with Angie and Elizaveta behind her, the cheerleaders burst out of the tunnel waving their yellow and blue pom-poms and yelling, “Go Lions!” They then split up into two lines facing each other as Charles Rutttheimer’s voice announced from the PA system.

“And here are your mighty Lawndale Lions!”

The football team, led by Mack and Kevin dashed out of the tunnel and between the lines of pom-pom waving cheerleaders received a standing ovation from the Lawndale fans—with the notable exceptions of Daria and Jane—as they ran to their seats.

As the game went on, Elizaveta had the time of her life cheering with Angie and the other girls. Looking up in the stands, she waved as she recognized her adoptive family, receiving waves in return from Jake, Helen, Jane, and Quinn, and a smile and tentative wave from Daria.

“Having fun?” Angie laughed as the girls finished a routine.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed, and then turned her head towards Brittany who was at that moment giving the eye to the Oakwood quarterback. “Should we be worried?”

“I was afraid of that.” Angie sighed. “Brittany’s letting her hormones run loose again.” She shook her head, “I hope she’s careful. Ms. Morris won’t be pleased if she’s caught fooling around with another team’s quarterback—it could get her kicked off the squad.” Taking a deep breath, she smiled, “Get ready—it’s halftime!”

As the cheerleaders performed their halftime routine, each of the girls rushed up on a podium and, waving their pom-poms, called out their name as the audience cheered:

“Brittany!”

“Clarise!”

“Nikki!”

“Dani”

“Angie!”

“Elizaveta!”

The rest of the game went as well as the first half with Mack scoring the winning touchdown from a long pass thrown by Kevin, his way to the goal line cleared by an excellent block delivered by Joey. Cheering the team every step of the way, Angie, Elizaveta, Brittany, and the other girls poured themselves into their cheers and routines, earning a smile of satisfaction from Ms. Morris.

Counting down the final seconds, the cheerleaders let out one final cheer as the game ended and Upchuck’s voice once again came through the PA. “And victory goes to our Lawndale Lions, 21-17! Drive home safely everyone and remember to purchase your souvenir Lawndale Lions coffee mugs, plushies, and pennants.”

“You all did a great job out there, ladies!” Ms. Morris praised at the aftergame meeting. “Now go on home and have a good weekend and I’ll see you in school on Monday.”

“Going home with your folks or do you wanna cruise by Pizza King for an aftergame pizza with the girls?”

“Mind if we get anya and apa’s ok first?” Elizaveta asked.

“Not a problem—I think I see them over there.”

“Apa! Anya!” Elizaveta called out and waved as she and Angie rushed up to join them.

“You girls were great!” Jake exclaimed as he hugged his adopted daughter.

“I wish I had half the energy you girls have got.” Helen chuckled.

“You all were really good!” Quinn gushed enthusiastically.

“Why don’t you try out?” Angie replied with a wicked grin.

“Ummm…Uhhhh…I’d like to…” Quinn stammered, “But my duties as vice president of the Fashion Club don’t give me much time…”

“Well…” Elizaveta grinned, “If you change your mind we have regular tryouts.”

“Daria…” Helen pressed, “Didn’t you think Elizaveta, Angie, and the other girls did good?”

“Yeah…sure…” Daria responded in a flat voice.

“Well…I thought you did a good job out there.” Jane declared sincerely, earning a surprised look from her friend as she shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, they did.” She then ripped out a page from her sketchbook. “Here…for the two of you.”

As the two girls looked at the picture: a beautiful and realistic drawing of the two of them leading a cheer, warm smiles appeared on both of their faces.

“Thank you, Jane.” Elizaveta said as she hugged the surprised artist. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, thank you.” Angie grinned, also surprising Jane with a hug. “We should get it framed.”

“We should.” Elizaveta smiled. “We can hang it in your room one week and mine the next.”

“Works for me.” Angie agreed.

“Anya…apa…” Elizaveta pleaded, “Could I go with Angie and the other girls to Pizza King…we kinda want to celebrate our win. I won’t be out late.”

“I guess it’ll be ok, dear.” Helen said as she gave her permission, “Just be sure to get in on time.”

“We will, anya!” Elizaveta exclaimed as the two girls dashed off, “Thanks!”

As the girls, along with most of the cheerleading squad enjoyed themselves at Pizza King, one cheerleader had a meeting of another sort.

‘Oh Stevie!” Brittany sighed after making love in the backseat of the convertible belonging to Steve Owens, the Oakwood quarterback. “That was amazing.” Unknown to the blonde cheerleader and her quarterback lover of the moment, a redheaded teacher was photographing their entire encounter through the telephoto lens on his camera.

“Grrr…Feisty…”


	6. Of Dates and Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie and Elizaveta go out on their double date with Mark and Derek with the result being a big "Meh" and then end this part at Brittany's party.

“Don’t forget, Marianne!” Helen commanded as she spoke to her secretary on the phone, “I need those depositions completed and ready to be filed tomorrow morning. Oh…” She then added as an afterthought, “Welcome back from your vacation. Felicity did a good job subbing for you…” Helen sighed, “…but I’m glad to have you back in the office.”

Looking at herself in the mirror, Elizaveta nodded her head in satisfaction at her reflection. Short black skirt with matching top and black pumps, with a gold necklace, earrings, and bracelet to complete the ensemble. After applying lipstick, a touch of blush, and eyeshadow and mascara, the young blonde’s lips turned up in a smile as she said to herself, “Looking good.”

Making her way down the stairs, Jake called out from the living room, “Date tonight, Elizaveta?”

“Yeah, apa.” Elizaveta answered back, “Me and Angie are doubling.”

“That’s good.” Helen interjected, nodding her head in approval. “Is Angie and her date coming here?”

“Yes, anya.” Elizaveta responded, “Derek’s my date and we’ll be leaving with him and Mark and then coming back here.”

“So…what are you going to be doing on your date?” Helen interrogated.

Smiling at her guardian’s heavy-handed questioning, Elizaveta replied, “We’re just going to see a movie and go to an Italian restaurant afterwards for dinner. It’s nothing serious.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head, “No need rushing things.”

“That’s right, Kiddo.” Jake sighed in relief, “There’s plenty of time.”

“Did Quinn already leave on her date?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yes.” Helen answered back, “Just a few minutes ago. She went out with Sean someone or other…” 

“Well, I hope she has a good time tonight.” The ringing of the doorbell signaled the arrival of Angie and her date. “Hi Angie…Mark…” Elizaveta greeted as her friend and her date entered. Angie was also wearing a short skirt and top for the occasion—hers a blue skirt with matching top and flats, along with earrings.

“Hi Elizaveta!” Angie smiled as she gave her friend a quick hug. She then introduced her date to the Morgendorffers as the doorbell rang again.

“That’ll be Derek.” Elizaveta exclaimed as she opened to door to admit her date. “Derek…this is my anya and apa…” then, as Daria walked down the stairs, she added, “…and my sister, Daria.”

After uttering a flat, “Hello,” Daria disappeared in the kitchen as Jake introduced himself to the two boys.

“Jake Morgendorffer, I’m Elizaveta’s dad. Well…legally guardian, but as far as we’re concerned, I’m her dad…” He qualified, “So…where are you taking the girls?” He demanded, extending his protectiveness to Angie.

“Jake!” Helen quickly intervened, “I’m Elizaveta’s mother…I hear you’re planning on going out to the movie and then dinner…so what’s playing?”

Smiling his most ingratiating smile, Derek responded, “It’s that new rom-com that’s been getting all the reviews…”

“Oh, yes.” Helen nodded her head, “I think I know the movie…the one set in Seattle?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Mark interjected, coming to the aid of his friend.

“So…where are you taking the girls for dinner?” Jake inquired with a suspicious look on his face.

“Giuseppe’s next to Cranberry Commons.” Derek politely replied.

Nodding her head approvingly at the mid-range Italian restaurant, Helen smiled, “Well…we better not keep you any longer. You all have a good time!”

“Thanks, anya…apa!” Elizaveta exclaimed as the teenagers left the house.

Watching as their ward and her friend were escorted to one of the cars parked in front of the house, Jake smiled, “I don’t think we need to worry…they seem like good boys.”

“It’s not them I worry about…” Helen said as her eyes followed Daria up the stairs.

Returning to her room, Daria picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

“Yo! What’s shaking?”

“Well…the Princess of Pleather and the Barbies are off on their dates.” Daria reported, “Leaving me alone to fend off the hordes of concerned parents.”

“So…why don’t you swing by here? Trent and his band have got a gig, so I’m stuck in the house by myself.”

“I’m on my way.” Daria replied as she hung up the phone. Walking down the stairs, Daria was soon confronted by her parents.

“Daria, dear…there’s got to be some boy at that school that’s interesting to you…” Helen began only to be cut off by her increasingly irritated daughter.

“I can count the number of boys that are remotely my intellectual equal on one hand.” Daria declared, “There’s Mack…but he’s Jodie’s boyfriend. Then there’s Upchuck, and I’d rather undergo a continuous treatment of enemas rather than go out with him. That’s it, Mom.” Sighing, she declared, “I’m going to Jane’s.”

 

“So, what did you think of the movie?” Mark asked Angie as he and Derek pulled their dates seats out for them at the restaurant.

“Not bad.” Angie replied as both she and Elizaveta were seated, “Although I thought the character played by Todd Cranks was a wuss.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Mr. O’Neill has more backbone.”

“Well…what did you think of Nicole Cadman’s character?” Derek inquired as the waitress came to take their order.

“Hmmm…” Elizaveta considered her answer, “She overplayed the ice queen bit. I’d have liked to have seen a bit more warmth early on.”

“Kinda reminded me of Daria in a way.” Angie interjected, “Putting Cranks’ character at a distance…”

“A little bit of Daria and a little bit of Quinn…” Elizaveta agreed and then changed the subject, “So…what are you guys’ favorite subjects?”

“Getting out of high school.” Mark quipped as the others at the table laughed, “But seriously, if I have to choose, I’d have to say DeMartino’s—if for no other reason than the laughs when he goes off on Kevin and Brittany.”

“Yeah…the Dynamic Duo are always worth a laugh or two.” Derek chuckled.

“Brittany’s not that bad.” Angie said, coming to her friend’s defense. “Granted, she’s not going to win any merit scholarships, but…every once in a while…she can surprise you.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta quickly agreed, “She’s really pretty creative—in her own way, I’d say more creative than Daria.”

Backtracking quickly, Derek apologized as the waitress brought their drinks, salads, and a basket of garlic breadsticks along with a small bowl of marinara dipping sauce. “I didn’t mean anything bad by it. I think Brittany’s a nice girl.” Then, getting the conversation back on to a safe track, he remarked, “I kind of like Ms. Bennett’s economics classes. I’m thinking about getting into marketing—my father is an investment consultant for Grace, Sloane, and Page.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta sighed, “I have her for math and economics. Unfortunately, Lawndale doesn’t seem to have anyone who teaches higher math.”

“Like calculus?” Mark exclaimed.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied, “Ms. Bennett pretty much cuts off with Algebra II and Trig. I’d like to go on to more…” Shrugging her shoulders, she pondered, “I wonder if I can take a calculus course for high school credit at Lawndale Community…”

“I don’t think Ms. Li will let you.” Angie commented sympathetically, “Otherwise, I’d be taking an English lit course there. The Wicked Witch doesn’t like it when her students stray from the compound.”

“Yeah.” Mark groaned, “Sometimes I think she’s more a warden than principal—like with those cameras.”

“I hear she’s getting bomb-sniffing dogs too.” Derek quipped, “I guess she has to do something with all that fundraiser money…”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta groaned, “It’s not as if it couldn’t be used for anything important…like fixing the ceilings…” As she finished her remarks, the waitress brought in the main course. “That looks good.” She smiled as she looked down on her shrimp scampi.

“Yeah…” Angie grinned as she eyed her plate of fettucine alfredo. “The fettucine’s pretty good too…trade you a bite of my fettucine for a bite of your scampi…” She said as she raised her eyebrows for about a second and then lowered them

“Ok.” Elizaveta smiled as the two girls each took a bite from the other’s plate. “You’re right.’ The blonde Hungarian said, mirroring her friend’s eyebrow gesture as she savored the pasta and sauce.

“Hmmm.” Angie vocalized as she unconsciously traced the rim of her glass with her finger, “The shrimp’s great too…Try some of the chicken…”

“That is good.” Elizaveta said in a husky voice as she blinked.

Seeing the two girls interacting with each other, Mark whispered to Derek, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they’re flirting with each other.”

“Nah…” Derek whispered back, shaking his head, “…at least I don’t think they are.”

Sensing that they were ignoring their dates, Angie turned to Mark and smiled, not repeating the eyebrow gesture with him, “Why don’t you give the fettucine a try?”

“Yeah, Derek…” Elizaveta grinned, picking up on her friend’s hint, “Try some of the scampi.” 

Conversation continued over dinner until Angie, daubing her lips with her napkin announced in a low voice, “I think I have to go powder my nose.”

Picking up on her friend’s hint, Elizaveta also got up, “I’ll join you, Angie.”

“Wonder why they always travel in packs to the bathroom?” Mark quipped. “Besides for the obvious…”

Shaking his head, Derek joked back, “You are new at this, aren’t you? They’re talking about us.”

“Oh…”

 

“So, your parents are after you to find a guy.” Jane quipped, “Didn’t you tell them that you were booked up until the apocalypse?”

“I tried…” Daria joked back, “But then they launched into this whole no time like the present bit.”

“Maybe I can fix you up with my brother…assuming he can stay awake long enough…or someone from his band…”

“Don’t even go there, Jane, or I will have to donate your body to science for vivisection.”

“Eh…I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you.” Jane consoled, “Tomorrow morning, your mother will be on the phone to the office and your dad will have another meltdown and they’ll leave you alone.”

“Yeah.” Daria replied as she looked up at the ceiling from her position on Jane’s bed, “I guess so.”

Setting aside her artwork for now, Jane turned on the television in her room causing both girls’ attention to be soon riveted by the latest blurb from _Sick, Sad, World_ : “Monkey urine in your drinking water…next on _Sick, Sad, World_!”

“Could be worse…” Daria quipped, “It could be gorilla feces.”

 

As the two blondes primped in front of the mirrors over their sinks the ladies room, Angie quipped to her friend as she applied lipstick to her lips, “So…give ‘em another go or toss them back?”

“Toss them back.” Elizaveta responded as she touched up her mascara. “They’re ok but…”

“Meh…” Angie finished with a giggle.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta snickered, “Dessert and then home, a kiss on the cheek, and goodbye…”

“Don’t call us…we’ll call you.” Angie joked, completing her friend’s sentence as she put away her makeup. Walking out the bathroom, Angie’s fingers grazed Elizaveta’s. Glancing at her friend, Angie’s lips turned up in a slight grin as she saw a delicate blush appear on Elizaveta’s cheeks as she looked away with a smile on her face.

Returning to their dates, the girls grinned, “So…” Angie asked Mark, “What do you recommend for dessert?”

“Try the Italian wedding cake.” Mark recommended as Derek suggested the cannoli for Elizaveta and coffee for everyone.

“Sounds good.” Elizaveta grinned as the waitress came to take their orders. Once again, the couples at the table engaged in small talk as Elizaveta and Angie exchanged glances with each other, subtly flirting with each other with their eyes as they conversed with their dates until, the meal finished, the boys took out cash and, after paying the bill, escorted their dates out of the restaurant and to their car.

The drive back to the Morgendorffers was uneventful as it became obvious to all in the car that the girls weren’t really compatible with their dates. Finally arriving at the Morgendorffer home, the boys helped the girls out of the car and received kisses on the cheek goodbye and vague promises of another date later.

“Well…that was a bust.” Angie chuckled as the boys pulled out.

“I don’t know about that…” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a shy grin, “There were some fun moments.”

“Yeah…” Angie replied, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks, “There were. You know…” She ventured, “We ought to go out some time—just the two of us—maybe catch a show or something?”

“That’d be nice.” Elizaveta grinned as the girls walked to the front door, “Jane’s brother’s part of a band and she says they often play at the _Zon_. Maybe we could catch them sometime?”

“I’d like that.” Angie agreed enthusiastically as they reached the front door. “Well…” She said as her and Elizaveta both held each other’s hands, “I guess I better be getting back home now. I don’t want my mom to worry.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta sighed, “I better get in too before apa gets worked up. I’ll see you at school Monday.” She said as the two girls gave each other chaste kisses on both cheeks. “Drive safe!” She said as she waved goodbye to her friend.

Opening the front door, Elizaveta entered to find her guardians seated on the couch, her father watching television with a martini glass in his hands while her mother sat making notes on a legal pad. “I’m home, apa…anya...”

“Did you have a good time, dear?” Helen asked as she turned her head to address her ward.

Shrugging her shoulders, Elizaveta replied, “It was ok…nothing to get excited over though.”

“Well…” You know what they say, dear.” Helen answered back in a cheerful tone, “You’ve got to go through a lot of coal to find a diamond.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta quipped, “It’s just that sometimes going through all that coal can be a pain in the butt.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Helen sighed as her ward made her way up the stairs.

Returning to her room, Elizaveta stripped off her clothing, including underwear, and put on her skimpy robe. After a quick trip to the bathroom to wash off her makeup and take care of before bed needs, she returned to her room, neatly hung or folded her clothing, and then, taking off her robe, she slipped in between the sheets of her double bed, imagining, as she drifted off to sleep, Angie as one of the dancers in her painting.

 

“I’m home, Mom!” Angie called out as she walked through the front door of her house and then closed and locked it.

“Did you have a good time?” Mrs. Jessica Harmon asked as she walked down the stairs of the little townhouse she shared with her only daughter.

“It was ok.” Angie answered back, “I mean, the boys were nice, but…”

“No sparks.” Jessica grinned.

“Nope…” Angie replied and then muttered under her breath, “At least not between us and the boys.”

“Oh well…” Mrs. Harmon quipped as she made her way to their small, but serviceable kitchen, “…you know what they say about fishes and the sea.” She then asked as she took out a tea kettle and filled it with water, “Would you like some chamomile tea before bed?”

“Yeah, thanks, Mom.” Angie replied as she took a book, Larry Niven’s _Ringworld_ , and began reading, her thoughts drifting to a certain blonde fellow cheerleader as she read. 

 

“Jó reggelt, Elizaveta!” Angie waved from the top of the steps as she spotted her friend, today wearing jeans and a stylish top.

“Nem szép nap, Angie!” Elizaveta grinned as she joined her friend at the top of the stairs

“Igen, ez az.” Angie smiled back as the pair picked up their bookbags and sauntered over to their lockers, “So…ready for another week of Kevin doing walrus imitations?”

Laughing, Elizaveta joked, “I’d worry about him doing damage to his brain with those pencils up his nose, but then I remembered that he doesn’t have a brain up there to damage.”

“So…we still on for our study session with Jodie and Mack at my house this week?” Angie asked.

“Yep.” Elizaveta answered back as she opened her locker and put in the books she didn’t need for her morning classes while taking out the ones that she needed. Sighing, she remarked, “I’m having some trouble figuring out what O’Neill’s looking for with that assignment he gave us—it’s too…I don’t know…”

“Touchy-feely?” Angie helpfully supplied.

Nodding her head, Elizaveta chuckled, “Right. I’m not sure what he’s wanting me to say.”

“I’m not sure he knows.” Angie replied as she made eye contact with her friend for a few seconds before turning away with a slight smile. “Best thing to do is give him something warm and fuzzy.”

“Warm and fuzzy I can do.” Elizaveta replied as she mirrored her friend’s gestures.

Watching the silent subconscious byplay between the two blondes, Andrea muttered under her breath as she passed them, “Get a room you two.”

“Did she say something?” Elizaveta asked as the goth girl walked past them.

“Not that I could hear.” Angie shrugged her shoulders, “Andrea’s always pretty much lived in her own world anyway.” The bell ringing, signaling the beginning of another day at Lawndale High, the blonde cheerleader quipped, “We better get to Mr. DeMartino’s before Kevin and Brittany or we’ll miss the show.”

 

“So…your parents still on you about ‘expanding your social horizons’?” Jane asked as she walked to class with her friend.

“Mom got sidetracked when she got called into the office early, and Dad’s more worried about rabid squirrels in the yard. And Quinn getting caught with that D on her quiz was icing on the cake.” Daria replied, “So, they’ve forgotten the whole thing.”

“Be thankful for rabid squirrels, tyrannical bosses, and Quinn’s vapidity.” Jane quipped.

“Quinn still didn’t get grounded though.” Daria grumbled, “So it wasn’t a complete success.”

“Hey…the week’s young, so cheer up, Morgendorffer! You’ll get her yet!”

 

“Hey Mack…Jodie…” Elizaveta and Angie grinned as they sat at their usual lunchtime table with their friends, "‘So, how was your weekend?”

Sighing, Jodie moaned, “More of the same. Dad took me with him to meet some of his clients and I had to babysit Rachel and Evan.”

“We still got some time in for pizza.” Mack interjected, taking his girlfriend by the hand, “So…how did your date go?”

“So…So…” Elizaveta answered, “They were nice and all but…”

“One date was enough.” Angie finished, “I just didn’t connect with Mark.”

“Same thing with me and Derek.” Elizaveta added.

“Well, I guess that’s what dating’s all about.” Mack quipped, “Finding out who you’re most compatible with and going from there.”

Watching as Kevin and Brittany bounced into the cafeteria, Angie’s lips turned up in a crooked grin, “Kind of like those two…” She joked as Kevin kissed Brittany.

“Yeah.” Jodie chuckled, “Those two deserve each other.”

“So…we still on for studying at your place this week, Angie?” Mack asked.

“Yep.” The platinum-blonde replied, “Bring your books and brains, and I’ll supply the coffee, hot tea, and other edibles.”

“Sounds like a plan.” 

“So…how’s that new dance you two are rehearsing going?” Jodie asked.

“Very good.” Elizaveta responded with a grin, ‘We’ve got the steps down, this week, we’re bringing in the music.”

“Oh, you’ll just love the music we’re dancing to.” Angie sighed, “It’s smooth and sensual with just a touch of something else…”

“And what is that something?” Mack’s lips turned up in a wicked grin.

“You’ll just have to see for yourselves.” Angie answered back with a twinkle in her eyes as Elizaveta glanced at her friend and blushed.

“I take it you two are going to Brittany’s party?” Jodie inquired.

“Of course.” Angie answered back, “It’ll be fun seeing who shows up. Believe it or not…” Angie spoke mostly to her fellow cheerleader, “Britt’s parties usually have a pretty broad mix of students.” 

“Angie’s right.” Jodie said, again talking primarily to Elizaveta, “I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but somehow Brittany’s parties usually have a mix of what you’d expect to see—cheerleaders and football players, quote, popular people, unquote, but also people you wouldn’t expect to ever see at a party like hers: artists and just plain ordinary students who don’t fit into any of the established cliques, and even…” Her eyes momentarily drifted to Upchuck sitting alone at a table, “…those who would otherwise never get an invitation to any party.”

“It’s like I keep saying…” Angie said, speaking for her fellow cheerleader, “Brittany can surprise you sometimes.” Shaking her head, the platinum-blonde girl sighed, “Grade-wise, she’s just hanging on, but she could do better. I’m mean…she’ll never be like Daria…” The cheerleader nodded with her head towards the table where Elizaveta’s foster sibling and Jane were eating their lunch, “…but, with just a little effort, she could pull up her grade to a C.”

“Why doesn’t she?” Elizaveta asked as Kevin decided to stick straws into this nose and do his bull imitation. Sighing, the young Hungarian shook her head, “Forget I asked.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “Kevin pulls her down.” The cheerleader heaved a dejected sigh, “At least he’s never physically abused her or anything like that, and, while he’s a pain in the rear to me and the other cheerleaders—I’ve had to sometimes slap him in the face or give him an elbow to the side when his hands go where they’re not supposed to, he’s never forced himself on Brittany, me, or any of the rest of us.”

“That’s something at least.” Elizaveta conceded.

“Kevin’s just a big kid at heart.” Mack chuckled, “It pisses me off when he calls me Mack Daddy all the time, but I realize he doesn’t mean anything bad by it—it’s just that he’s too stupid to get the message.”

 

“Ms. Defoe’s really excited about this project she’s working on with the Barbies.” Jane remarked as she glanced at the table where Elizaveta and Angie sat talking with their friends. “Do you know anything about it?”

“Not a whole lot.” Daria shrugged her shoulders, “Elizaveta’s been pretty tight lipped about it. Just says that it’s pretty good.”

“Yeah…that’s what Ms. Defoe says.” Jane replied, adding, “She asked me if I could do some background stage painting when they roll it out later on this year.”

“You gonna do it?” Daria asked.

Jane shrugged her shoulders, “No reason not to. For a teacher, Ms. Defoe’s nice—a lot nicer than most of the other teachers in this penitentiary. And…besides being an interesting project, I’ll get an inside peek into what they’re doing.”

“Just be sure Elizaveta’s wearing her clothes when you do it.” Daria quipped.

“What? This I’ve got to hear!” Jane laughed.

“Apparently my new sister likes to sleep in the nude.” Daria quipped, “When Mom and Dad went into her room to wake her up, they caught an eyeful. I think they’re still trying to recover from the shock.”

Barely getting her words out through her laughter, Jane managed to ask, “Who was more freaked out, Jake or Helen?”

“I think they were equally freaked.” Daria deadpanned, “Didn’t seem to bother Elizaveta though…she just put on that skimpy little robe of hers and went on to the bathroom and did her morning routine like nothing happened. When she finally got dressed and came downstairs for breakfast, they were still embarrassed, but it looked like they were getting ready to talk to her about it. Then, my Quinn came down and I brought up the little matter of her getting that D on her quiz and they forgot all about it.”

“So…Elizaveta owes you one now.” Jane quipped.

“Yeah.” Daria’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “And I intend to collect at a suitable time.”

As the two outcasts picked up their trays and walked to the kitchen to dispose of them, they fell in next to Elizaveta and her friends. Not able to pass up the opportunity to get in a slight dig at her foster sister’s expense, Daria quipped, “Next time, Elizaveta, remember to lock your door. We don’t need Mom and Dad to be blinded for life.”

Her face reddening, Elizaveta replied, “I will.”

“What was that all about?” Angie asked as Daria and Jane walked away.

Giggling, Elizaveta explained what had happened that morning to a chuckling Angie, Mack, and Jodie. “I guess from now on, I better lock my door.” Elizaveta concluded as she joined in the laughter.

“And close your drapes.” Angie quipped as they saw Upchuck leaving the cafeteria, “Unless you like peeping Upchucks watching you in the buff.”

On hearing that, all three girls uttered a simultaneous, “Ewwww…” as Mack groaned in sympathy.

 

“You’ve almost got it, girls!” Ms. Defoe clapped her hands with glee as Elizaveta and Angie finished their routine, this time to music. “You two click so well together.” The teacher sighed, adding, “I’ve asked Jane to help out with painting the background scenery later on when we get close to putting the whole routine on live.”

“She’s a very good artist.” Elizaveta agreed, “She drew a lovely picture of Angie and me cheerleading at last week’s game.”

“That was nice of her.” Ms. Defoe grinned, “Could I ask you to show it to me sometime?”

“Sure.” Angie and Elizaveta both nodded their heads in agreement. Then Angie remarked in a somewhat hesitant tone, “Nikki, a friend of ours on the squad, is taking your art class with her and says that she does very good work, but it’s often dark and depressing.”

Nodding her head, Ms. Defoe reluctantly agreed, “Yes, it’s true that Jane does tend to exorcise her demons through paint and canvas, but she’s also very good at portraying life and color when moved. I’m hoping the music and your dancing will provide the inspiration she needs.” The teacher further added, “She’s probably the best artist we have here—and I’m including myself and several local artists.” Then, turning to the other girls in the club, the teacher clapped her hands to get their attention, “All right, everyone. Like we rehearsed last week…let’s see what you’ve learned. Remember…let the music flow through you…don’t fight it.”

 

“That was a good session.” Angie remarked as she and Elizaveta drove back to her house. Arriving at the curb of the small townhouse she lived in, the platinum-blonde grinned, “Here we are. We’ve got about an hour before Mom gets home from work and Jodie and Mack show up for our study session. You wanna snack and maybe a cup of tea while we listen to some tunes?”

“Sounds good to me.” Elizaveta grinned as she and her friend entered through the front door. 

“Grab a chair or have a seat on the couch and I’ll be back with some tea and cakes—hope you don’t mind Formosa Oolong…I like it when I get home from school, it’s relaxing and I like the smell.” Angie grinned as she turned on the stereo to a jazz recording. “Jazz ok with you?”

“The tea sounds perfect.” Elizaveta smiled, “And I like your music.” Crinkling her nose, she commented, “I don’t see what Quinn sees in those groups like Boys are Guys and I’m not really much into Daria’s music—although I don’t mind it when I’m in the mood.”

“Yeah…” Angie replied from the kitchen as she put a kettle on to boil. “I could never get into those bubblegum groups either, and while I don’t mind some alternative, I can’t take too much of it at once.” Coming back into the living room several minutes later bearing a tray with a teapot, creamer, bowl of sugar cubes, and a couple of tea cups as well as slices of coffee cake, Angie set the tray down in the middle of the couch where Elizaveta sat and then took the seat on the other side.

“Just help yourself.” Angie grinned as she first poured a dollop of cream into her cup and then poured the hot tea. “Mom baked the coffee cake from an old family recipe.” She chuckled, “Try a piece—it’s not too fattening.”

Pouring herself a cup of tea with milk and then taking a piece of the coffee cake and nibbling on it, Elizaveta smiled, “This is good. Beats munching on cheesy puffs or sugar tarts.”

“I imagine things get pretty hectic at your house.” Angie said, “We’re a bit more laid back here—I guess it’s because it’s just Mom and me. I hope you don’t mind not having the TV on—I mean we watch it some, Mom likes her cooking shows, and we both like that murder mystery set on an island in the Caribbean, Murder in Heaven, and we watch the Goldie Oldie Channel sometimes—especially when they show murder mystery or science fiction shows, and I’ve got to admit…” she blushed, “…Charlie’s Angels is a guilty pleasure of mine, but usually, I just read and listen to music.”

“That’s ok.” Elizaveta grinned and then sighed, “I like the change of pace. There’s almost always at least three TVs going on at the same time in my house—four if apa or anya are cooking in the kitchen.” She explained, “Apa watches the business news until anya comes home, then she switches it usually to one of those self-help programs or what have you. Go into Quinn’s room, after your eyes adjust to all that pink, then it’s Fashion Vision, or This Week’s Model, or something equally boring, and if you’ve got the nerve to go into Daria’s room, then it’s Sick, Sad, World all the time.”

“Ewwww…” Angie cringed, “That show grosses me out!”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed as she sipped her tea, “It gets really bad when there’s a marathon and Daria and Jane monopolize the TV in the living room.”

“Hi, Honey, I’m home!” Jessica Harmon called out as she entered the house.

“Hi, Mom!” Angie called back, “Me and Elizaveta are having some tea and cakes in the living room while we’re waiting for Mack and Jodie. Why don’t you grab a cup and join us?”

“Thanks!” Jessica smiled as she entered the living room, “How’re you doing, Elizaveta?”

“Fine, thank you, Ma’am.” Elizaveta politely replied as Jessica went into the kitchen and then came back moments later with a tea cup and saucer.” Thanks, dear.” She said to her daughter as she poured mild and tea into the cup and then added a sugar cube. After stirring the sugar into the tea, she took a piece of cake and sat down on a comfortable chair near the couch. “So…how was your day?”

“Pretty good.” Angie grinned, “Ms. Defoe liked our routine and is bringing in Jane Lane to do the background scenery.”

“Isn’t she that art student who did that drawing of you and Elizaveta?” Jessica asked.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “Ms. Defoe says she’s one of the best artists in the area.”

“So…when are your other friends supposed to show up?”

“Almost anytime now.” Angie answered.

“Well…when I finish this tea and cake…” Jessica grinned, “I’ll fix you all up some taco salads for a light dinner.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Angie replied as the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” She said as she got up and went to the door. Opening the door, she grinned, “Hey, Mack…Jodie…come on in. We’re having tea and cake right now, you can join us and then we can go up to my room and study if that’s ok with you.”

“Sounds good.” Jodie grinned, “Show us the way.” Her eyes falling to the bookcase in the living room, the young African-American remarked, “You’ve got an interesting library…”

“Not quite what you expected from a cheerleader?” Angie grinned, her smile and friendly tone of voice taking any sting out of the remark. “I like science fiction and murder mysteries—mostly the classics like Ursula K. Le Guin, Larry Niven, and Isaac Asimov and mystery writers like Ruth Rendel and Rex Stout and…Mickey Spillane is a guilty pleasure of mine.”

After several minutes of enjoyable conversation over tea and cakes, Angie suggested, “You all ready to hit the books?”

“Yeah…” Mack nodded his head, “I really want to bone up for DeMartino’s test tomorrow. I have a feeling it’s going to be a killer.”

“And I need some help on my math for Ms. Bennett’s exam.” Angie sighed as Elizaveta gently touched her arm with her fingers.

“Don’t worry…” The young blonde grinned, “Between Jodie and I, we’ll make sure you pass it.”

“That’s right.” Jodie said reassuringly. 

“No grade lower than a B for tomorrow’s exams.” Mack vowed as they entered Angie’s room. Seeing the picture of the two cheerleaders hanging on the wall, he gestured at it, “Did Jane do that?”

“Yeah.” Angie replied, “She surprised us with it after the game. Well…” She said as everyone sat down on the floor and spread out their books and notes, “…let’s get started.”

After a couple of hours of intensive studying, Jessica’s voice from downstairs called up to them, “Come on down, dinner’s ready.”

“C’mon!” Angie grinned, “You’ll love my Mom’s taco salads!”

“This is good!” Mack raved as he forked some ground beef and guacamole on to his fork and then shoved it in his mouth. 

“Where did you find the recipe?” Jodie asked.

“I caught it on a cooking show a few months ago…” Jessica grinned, “…and was dying to try it out. So…I take it you all like it.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta grinned, saying in a low voice, “Beats frozen lasagna night after night.”

“I don’t get as much opportunity to cook as I used to.” Jessica said apologetically, “Work keeps me pretty busy.”

“Where do you work, Mrs. Harmon?” Jodie asked.

“I’m an assistant manager in the women’s department at Cashmans.” Angie’s mom answered with a chuckle, “I’ve seen Elizaveta’s younger sister and her little gang come in often to the teen section.” Her lips then turned up in a wicked grin, “Poor Theresa…after dealing with that foursome, she’s ready to pull her hair out; although she says that the commission from her sales is worth it.”

“I’ll bet.” Elizaveta grinned.

“And you, young lady…” Jessica’s lips turned up in a wicked grin, “Don’t think I didn’t see you buying that skimpy little robe in the lingerie section—I’m surprised you got that by your step-mother…”

“Busted.” Angie chuckled.

“Anya didn’t know I got it at the time.” Elizaveta smirked, “And I made a point of not letting anyone see it until past the return date.”

“Sneaky…” Angie quipped before taking a bite from her salad, “I like.”

“Try living with Daria and Quinn…” Elizaveta joked, “You’ve gotta be sneaky to survive.”

“Darwinian survival of the fittest at work.” Jodie quipped.

“Exactly.” Elizaveta nodded her head.

As they finished their dinner, Mack grinned, “Thank you for fixing dinner for us, Mrs. Harmon.”

“Yeah, thanks.” The other guests said as Jessica smiled.

“Well…” Elizaveta sighed, “I guess we better get back to the books.”

“Yeah.” Angie sighed, “We need those grades if we’re going to be able to go to Brittany’s party this weekend.”

“You better believe it.” Mrs. Harmon warned, “I expect you to keep on delivering those B’s in math and science now.”

 

After they got their tests back, Elizaveta met up with her friends. “So…how did everyone do?”

Jodie grinned, “Straight A’s.”

“Of course.” Mack smiled as he gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek, “B’s in everything—even Ms. Barch. What about you girls?”

“A’s in math and science…” Elizaveta began only to be interrupted by Angie’s playful laugh.

“Naturally…”

“And B’s in history and English lit.” Elizaveta finished with a smile. “How about you, Angie?” Elizaveta asked as she gently grazed her friend’s arm with her fingers.

“A’s in history and English lit…” Angie said as she stared for a brief moment at her fellow cheerleader and licked her lips, “and…B’s in math and science.”

“I guess that means we can go to Brittany’s party together!” Elizaveta exclaimed as she briefly stared at her friend before turning her head away and smiling.

“I’m glad to hear that!” Brittany squealed as she joined the little group, “Everyone’s going to be there.” She then turned her head to where Daria and Jane were talking in front of their lockers, Daria’s locker opened to reveal the picture of the Hindenburg crashing and burning. “I even invited Daria because she helped me in my art class.”

“That was nice of you, Brittany.” Elizaveta remarked in a sincere voice.

“I also invited Upchuck because he dissected a frog for me in Ms. Barch’s class.” Brittany declared with a grimace on her face as she shook her head, “It was only fair…after all, I did invite Daria because she helped me. If I didn’t, that would make me a Hyper-crate!”

“Hypocrite, Brittany…” Angie gently corrected with a sigh. “And it was very nice of you to invite him too, although he makes my skin crawl.”

“Mine too.” Elizaveta agreed with a shudder as Jodie, in an effort to lighten the mood, interjected with a question.

“Was that look you just gave because you invited Upchuck to the party or because of having to dissect a frog?” 

“Yes.” Brittany squealed as she twirled a lock of hair. Then, seeing her boyfriend hitting on a girl, she balled her fists before charging after him, “Kevvy!” 

Shaking her head as her fellow cheerleader ran off after her clueless boyfriend, Elizaveta quipped as she eyed Daria and Jane, “I’ve got a feeling that things are going to get pretty interesting at Brittany’s party.”

“Yeah.” Jodie’s lips turned up in a wicked grin, “Me and Mack are going to have some harmless fun with her…you girls want in?”

“Yeah.” Angie cautiously agreed, “As long as Brittany doesn’t get hurt by it.” Sighing, she explained, “In spite of everything, she is a friend of mine and I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

“Don’t worry.” Mack replied, “Here’s what we’re planning…if you don’t like it…we won’t do it—fair enough?” Taking Angie’s and Elizaveta’s nod of their heads as agreement, he and Jodie explained their plans, causing the two cheerleaders to giggle.

“Ok.” Angie and Elizaveta both smirked, “We’re in.”

Watching the other group from their lockers, Jane turned to her friend, “Wonder what the Barbies and Jodie and Mack have planned? Bet it has something to do with Brittany’s party. Another reason for us to go.” She said as she attempted to convince her misanthropic friend to attend a social function. “Come on…we’ve got to see what they’re going to do.”

“Oh…all right.” Daria sighed, “I’ll go, and I’ll get you in.”

 

**_Brittany’s Party_ **

“Well…here we are!” Angie exclaimed as she parked her car on the curb of the parking circle in front of the Taylor mansion. “Mr. Taylor loves to flaunt it.” She said as the two girls got out of the car and began making their way to the front door, Elizaveta wearing a short skirt and midriff top with matching heeled boots and gold earrings and necklace as well as her navel ring and nose stud, while Angie also wore a short skirt and tight top that enhanced her natural attributes, along with silver earrings and an amethyst pendant and matching pumps. 

“Thankfully, them and Brittany’s terror of a kid brother won’t be there. I’ll tell you all about Mr. Taylor, Ashley-Amber, and the little monster later.” She said as the pair reached the front door and she rang the doorbell. “I wanted to get in a little early to see if Britt needs any help getting set up—you don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all” Elizaveta smiled, “We’re her friends, right? And friends help each other.”

“Angie! Elizaveta!” Brittany squealed with joy as she gave her friends and fellow cheerleaders quick hugs. “C’mon in! Me and Kevvy are getting the chips, dips, and everything ready for everyone. You can help!”

“Lead the way…” Angie grinned as she whispered to Elizaveta, the pair walking comfortably together well within each other’s personal space, “I hope he hasn’t made too big a mess of things.”

Entering the kitchen, Brittany immediately chided her boyfriend over mixing the smooth and ridged chips. Ignoring the other couple’s byplay, Angie and Elizaveta quietly finished setting everything else up. Shaking her head as she saw the fruit plate, Angie exclaimed, “Kevin? Why did you put olives with the fruit?”

“Olives? The dumb jock, still wearing his football jersey just as Brittany was still wearing her cheerleader’s uniform, answered back, scratching his head, “I thought they were grapes.”

Sighing, Angie turned to her friend, “Come on, Elizaveta.” She sighed as she began picking out the olives, “Let’s get those out before they make everyone sick. Then we’ll add some real grapes.”

Their mission completed, the pair exited the kitchen, entering the foyer which had been converted into a combination meeting area and dance floor with Brittany and Kevin in the lead.

“It’s already packed.” Elizaveta grinned and then spotted her younger sister with her three drones. “And there’s Quinn with her fetch-and-carry squad in tow.”

Chuckling, Angie quipped, “I wonder how she does it.”

“It involves black magic and child sacrifice.”

“And don’t forget sexual intercourse with the Devil.” 

Immediately recognizing Daria and Jane’s voices, the pair immediately turned about. “Glad you two could make the party.” Angie said with a smile on her face.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta added, “I’m really glad you showed up.”

“We were on our way to the food.” Jane quipped as she eyed the kitchen.

“Don’t worry.” Angie joked back as she nodded her head once in the direction of the quarterback who currently had his hand on his girlfriend’s rear, “Everything’s safe. We’ve Kevin-proofed it.”

“That’s good to know.” Daria responded, “Thanks, Sis…Angie. We’ll see you later.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta replied, “We’ll be around.” 

As the couple circulated and mingled with the other party guests, they politely, yet firmly, turned down numerous requests from the boys for dates, particularly two boys—one a fairly obnoxious boy who was already well on his way to getting plastered and another with a big head who immediately turned the cheerleaders off. 

Angie sighed, “I was almost ready to sock that boy in the face. ‘Partying hearty or hardly partying’…talk about your lame pick-up lines!”

“I think he also got into the booze.” Elizaveta quipped, crinkling her nose, “I could smell it on his breath.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “I just hope it’s booze he bought and not booze from Mr. Taylor’s liquor cabinet. I mean Brittany won’t get into too much trouble over it—he gives her practically everything she wants, but…”

“He might take it out on everyone else.” Elizaveta remarked, completing her friend’s thought.

“Right.” Angie agreed, “So…why don’t we check to be sure Mr. Taylor’s booze is safe.”

“Good!” Angie sighed in relief as she and her friend checked the liquor cabinet and found that it was still secure. “That means they’re bringing their booze with them.” The two girls then overheard a blonde teenager holding court with Sandi Griffin and two of her friends, Tiffany and Stacy. “Let’s listen…” The platinum-blonde teenager whispered, “This should be good.”

“That girl…” The blonde, going by the name of Tori, commented as she gestured in the direction of Quinn who was hiding behind a stuffed animal, “Became popular when she arrived.” Chuckling as Elizaveta and Angie caught Sandi’s slow burn reaction, they stayed silent as Tori droned on, “…and that girl…” She said, gesturing at Angie…

“She’s talking about us…” Angie whispered to her friend.

“Is already popular because she’s with the cheerleaders and she’s getting more popular…”

“Well…that’s good to know.” Angie quipped in a whisper.

“And so is the other girl. She came in at the same time as the red-headed girl…I think they’re sisters or step-sisters…” Tori commented, “And while she was already a little popular when she arrived, she got more popular when she joined the cheerleading squad and started hanging out with the other cheerleader and with those two…” She then pointed to Mack and Jodie, “…who are already popular because he’s captain of the football team and she’s in Student Council and a bunch of other activities and because she always dresses well—even if she does lose some points because she’s a brain—they’re not enough to make her less popular—all the other stuff makes up for it.”

“Well it’s good to know we’re travelling in the right circles,” Elizaveta quipped with a sarcastic grin on her face.

“But those two girls…” Tori frowned in disapproval, “Aren’t popular at all. Look at how they’re dressed and they’re all by themselves.”

“They must be a charity case.” Sandi sniffed.

“Looks like Daria and Jane didn’t make the cut.” Angie joked with an ironic grin.

“Somehow I don’t think they care.” Elizaveta grinned, “C’mon…Let’s see what else we can get into.”

“Fair ladies….”

Cringing as they heard Upchuck’s cloying voice, the girls turned to the red-headed would-be Casanova and scowled, “What is it, Upchuck?” 

“Why I just thought two such lovely visions as yourselves might like the company of a knight in shining armor.”

“More like a szar lapát…a shit shoveler…” Elizaveta growled.

“Yeah…go away, Upchuck.” Angie added, then threw in a Magyar curse word she learned from her friend, “Nyasgem!”

“Grrr…Feisty1” He responded, apparently not getting the message.

“Nyasgem!” Elizaveta warned, then her lips turned up in an evil grin, “Unless you want me to show you why my namesake got the reputation she did…” 

“Eep!” Upchuck squeaked before beating a hasty retreat towards a pair of safer targets—Daria and Jane.

“There are times it’s good to be named after a serial killer.” Elizaveta quipped as she and Angie laughed. “Let’s see if we can get into any more trouble.”

As the pair joined their friends who were currently talking to Brittany, Jodie quipped as she recognized the two cheerleaders. “Yeah…it’s a nice house, Brittany, but…”

“Where’s the jacuzzi?” Mack inquired with a straight face, “A house like this has to have a jacuzzi—right Elizaveta…Angie…”

Playing their part in the joke, both girls nodded their heads and replied in unison, “That’s right. It needs a jacuzzi.”

“But…Dad just got the house and hasn’t had time to put one in yet.” Brittany moaned, her face showing near panic.

Deciding to let their prey off the hook, Mack and Jodie both smiled, “That’s ok, Brittany. We know your Dad will get you one soon.”

“Yeah.” Angie and Elizaveta both added in reassuring tones, “We know you’re going to get one soon, so don’t worry about it.”

Her mood picking up, Brittany smiled a she twirled a lock of hair, “That’s right! Thanks!” The air-headed cheerleader then skipped back to her boyfriend.

“I didn’t have the heart to torture her any further.” Jodie sighed.

“Yeah…” Mack nodded his head, “It’s too much like kicking a puppy.”

“Thanks for going easy on her guys.” Angie said in a sincere voice. “Like I told you, she’s my friend—has been since elementary school.” 

“Yeah…thanks…” Elizaveta added her heart-felt sentiments to those of her friend.

“You know…” Angie whispered, lowering her voice so that only her friends could hear, “Before Ashley-Amber and later Kevin came on the scene, she wasn’t quite so air-headed. I mean…she was never going to be an A student…but she used to get steady C’s and the odd B. Now, it’s F’s and D’s and the odd C. I don’t think she’s gotten a B since she began school here.”

“Nature versus nurture.” Jodie shook her head, “Only this time nurture wins.”

“Most of the teachers don’t help matters any.” Mack groaned, “She does ok with Mr. O’Neill and Ms. Barch gives her a passing grade because she’s female, but the others…” He shook his head, “Mr. DeMartino gets frustrated with her and scares her.”

“Right.” Angie nodded her head, “And she really does try.”

“So…what can we do to help her?” Elizaveta asked.

“Not much we can do.” Angie lowered her head, “We can’t tutor her unless she wants to be tutored and she’s too easily distracted by Kevin, plus, her father gives her whatever she wants and, as for Ashley-Amber, she behaves more like a big sister than a step-mother. In fact, she’s young enough to be her sister.”

“It sucks…” Elizaveta quietly stated as her friends all nodded their heads in agreement. Then, watching Jane coming back to the party after drifting off, her lips turned up in a sly grin as she noticed the sock hanging from her shoulder. “Looks like someone was in the makeout room.”

“Should we tell her about the sock?” Jodie quipped.

“Nah.” Angie replied with a sly grin, “Let her find out for herself.”

“Well…” Mack declared as he held Jodie’s hand in his, “We’re going to some more mingling. See you later.”

“Yeah…’ Elizaveta nodded her head, “We’re going to do the same.” Turning to her partner in crime, she jibed, “So…what sort of trouble do we get into now?”

“Let’s fuel up and then see what Quinn and her court are up to.” Angie grinned as the pair headed off to the kitchen.

Shaking her head as the two girls entered the kitchen, Angie sighed, “Kevin got into the olives again. C’mon help me pluck them out.”

As she helped her friend remove the olives from the fruit plate, Elizaveta heard her younger sister’s voice, “Sounds like Quinn.” She said as the pair took off the last of the olives.

They then heard three male voices growing increasingly angry and then the sound of someone being shoved to the floor as Quinn exclaimed, “Boys…don’t fight over me!”

“Time to make our exit.” Angie grinned as the two girls grabbed a can of soda each from the cooler. Walking past the brawling boys with Quinn sitting on the stairs as a Roman empress would over a gladiatorial match, Elizaveta shook her head.

“How can three boys be so dumb.”

“Put all their brains together and there might be enough for half a brain for one of them.” Angie quipped as they exited the kitchen and waded through the sudsy floor in front of the makeout room. Cringing at the loud music and sounds of brawling, the girls witnessed Kevin smashing a soda can on his head. “I’m surprised the neighbors haven’t called the police yet.”

Almost in answer to her statement, the two girls heard the sound of sirens. “You were saying?” Elizaveta quipped.

“Well…” Angie’s lips turned up in a sly grin as the police officers put an end to the merry making. “I guess the party’s over. Ready to go home?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, stifling a yawn.

“Let’s go see Brittany before we go…” Angie requested, “I want to tell her that I’ll be by tomorrow morning to help her clean up.”

“Pick me up and I’ll join you.” Elizaveta volunteered.

“We’ll be by too.” Mack and Jodie added as they joined their friends. “It’s the least we can do after pulling that jacuzzi prank.”

“Thanks, guys.” Angie smiled as she informed her old friend that she had help cleaning up the next morning.

“Thanks!” Brittany smiled as she hugged all four of them. “I hope you had a good time—even if the police made us quit early. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“We had fun, Brittany.” Angie replied with a smile, “And we’ll see you tomorrow!”

Somewhat later, as she pulled up to the curb in front of the Morgendorffers’ house, Angie turned to her friend who was opening the passenger’s side door to leave. “Thanks for coming with—I had fun.” Angie said in a gentle voice.

“I did too.” Elizaveta said in a soft, shy voice, her fingers grazing those of her friend’s as she exited the car, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow!” Angie exclaimed as drove off, her heart having skipped a beat at that brief finger to finger touch with her friend.

Watching as her friend drove off, Elizaveta sighed as her lips turned up in another shy smile. Then, turning towards her door, her smile grew brighter as she remembered how Angie’s fingers felt when she touched them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Murder in Heaven_ is a play on the BBC murder mystery show _Death in Paradise_ which can be seen on PBS in the United States. If you haven't seen the show yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.


	7. Pas de Deux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie and Elizaveta check out Lawndale State where Elizaveta has another brief flashback. Daria and Elizaveta bond over parallel universes and Heinlein, as Jane begins to see that the Barbies aren't so bad. Later, the couple perform their dance at Mr. O'Neill's new coffeehouse where their relationship begins to bloom.

“Thanks Mrs. Harmon…” Elizaveta said from the back seat of the sedan carrying her and her friend Angie being driven by Angie’s mother, “…for letting me go with you and Angie to tour Lawndale State.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Jessica Harmon grinned, “Angie was telling me that you needed a break from a bout of sibling quibbling.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta sighed, “I really wasn’t looking forward to being stuck in a car driving all the way to Middleton and back with Daria and Quinn sniping at each other all the time.”

“See…” Angie grinned, “There are advantages to being an only child.”

“Now, dear…” Jessica grinned, “I used to remember you wishing you had a little brother or sister to play with.” Growing suddenly pensive, she said in a soft voice, “Your father and I were thinking about having another child before…”

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Angie apologized, “I didn’t mean to…”

“Of course, you didn’t dear.” Jessica interjected, her lips turning up in a sad smile. Changing the subject, she asked Elizaveta, “What makes you interested in Lawndale State—other than it’s close and cheap?”

“Believe it or not.” Elizaveta grinned, “Lawndale State actually has a pretty good astronomy, cosmology, and astrophysics faculty. I’m hoping to check it out and maybe sit in on a class—if that would be all right with you.”

“I think I can bear an hour or two being utterly confused.” Jessica chuckled, “What about you, Angie? History or Literature or both?”

“I’d like to take a look at both departments.” Angie replied, “But I’m most interested in their modern literature section that specializes in science fiction and fantasy. I’m hoping to sit in on a course if that’s ok?”

“Sure.” Mrs. Harmon replied with a pleasant laugh, “At least I’ll be able to understand something of what’s being taught in your class.”

“He lost me at parallel and alternate universes.” Mrs. Harmon shook her head as they exited the lecture hall.

“I think I picked up on some of what he was saying.” Angie reflected, “That there could be multiple parallel universes and that there’s a barrier or something like that separating them, and also that there are multiple variations of us in many of these universes.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head as an image of her sitting in a chair looking at a window as stars seemingly sped past flashed in and out of her mind. 

“Elizaveta?” A concerned Angie tapped her friend on the shoulder, “Are you all right.”

“Yeah.” The young blonde replied, shaking her head, “I was just distracted. Ummm…what were we talking about again?”

“Parallel universes…” Angie prompted.

“Ok…” Elizaveta chuckled, “…recovering from brain fart now. What I found most interesting was his theory that, given enough energy, that it might be possible to travel from one universe to another.”

“So…he’s saying that it might be possible for people from other universes to come here…” Angie asked.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “But…it’d take a lot of energy and would be very risky because the physical laws in that other universe might be completely different from ours.”

“I think I’m getting a headache.” Jessica quipped as they approached the Arts and Letters building. “I guess it’s time to see what the literature department has to offer.” She said as she and the two teenagers with her entered the building and quietly entered a classroom where the professor was beginning to lecture on Heinlein and his works.

“So…what did you think, Mom?” Angie asked as they filed out of the lecture hall with the rest of the students.

“It’s hard figuring out exactly what Heinlein believes.” Jessica replied, “From what the lecturer said about _Starship Troopers_ , you’d think that he was something of a fascist, but then how do you square that with _Stranger in a Strange Land_ and again with _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. He bounces from fascist to counter-culture to libertarian—who’s the real Heinlein?”

“Maybe they all are.” Angie replied. “His writings changed as he did. He was also ahead of his time regarding racial equality.” Chuckling, she quipped, “I wander what Daria and Quinn and the rest of them would say about cheerleaders talking about the universe and science fiction literature?”

“Before or after they pick their jaws off the floor.” Elizaveta laughed as they piled back into the car for the trip home.

Getting out of the car after it had pulled up in front of the Morgendorffer residence, Elizaveta waved goodbye to Angie and her mother, “I’ll see you at school!”

“See ya!” Angie waved back as the car sped off. 

Entering the front door of her house, Elizaveta found the house eerily quiet. Seeing Daria sitting on the living room sofa, watching _Sick Sad World_ on the television, she joined her sister. “Hi Daria…did you have a good time at Middleton?”

“If by good time you mean getting Quinn busted at a fraternity party, making a pile of money editing and correcting college papers and then losing it when Mom caught a student at the door paying me, then yes, I had a good time. What about you?”

“We actually had a good time.” Elizaveta replied, “We attended a cosmology lecture on parallel universes and then a science fiction literature lesson on Heinlein.”

“Oh?” Daria’s eyes opened wider, “Tell me more…”

As the sisters talked about parallel universes, wormholes, black and white holes, and membranes between universes, and then the intricacies and contradictions of Robert Heinlein’s political and social thought before moving on to other subjects, Helen, listening in from the top of the stairs, shook her head as the conversation rapidly grew beyond her comprehension. Seeing Jake about to come down the stairs, she placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Jake…” Helen said in a soft voice, “Listen…”

“Daria and Elizaveta are talking with each other?” Jake whispered back, “What are they talking about?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Helen smiled as whispered, “They lost me the moment the word wormhole was mentioned. But, it doesn’t matter. I think this is the first time that those two have really talked with each other since Elizaveta joined us.”

“They’ve talked to each other plenty of times.” Jake pointed out.

“Yes, but not like this.” Helen replied, “Listen again…Daria’s not making her usual sarcastic jabs or being dismissive and Elizaveta hasn’t gotten frustrated with her and gotten up and left. I think we’ve just seen a barrier come down. Daria and Elizaveta are bonding.” Her lips turned up in a pleased smile as she dipped her head towards the bedroom, “Let’s go on to bed and let them talk.”

 

“So…pizza after class?” Daria asked as she and Jane stopped in front of her locker.

“No can do.” Jane replied, “I’ll be sketching at the dance club practice this afternoon. After that, I should be free though.” Her lips turned up in a wicked grin, “I can get Trent to pick you up and take you to Pizza King and we can meet up there.”

“Ummm…uhhh…” Daria stammered as Jane chuckled and then quickly spoke, not giving her suddenly bashful friend time to reply.

“Great! I’ll make sure he’s up and he’ll swing by your place about fiveish.” The artist’s lips then turned up in a wicked grin, “I can’t wait to see what the Barbies have been up to in that dance club of theirs…”

“I’ll want details.” Daria quipped, “And video evidence if possible.”

“We’ll see.” Jane laughed as the pair made their way to their next class.

 

“Ok, Elizaveta…Angie…just like before…only this time, bring in a little more sexuality…but don’t overdo it…you’re not doing burlesque…it’s about enticement.... not abandon.” Ms. Defoe instructed as Jane slipping into the auditorium, quietly took a seat in the back and took out her sketch pad.

“Let the music flow through you…” Jane heard Ms. Defoe say as she saw the Barbies begin their dance. As the two blondes danced, the artist, her eyes wide in astonishment at what she saw, began to furiously sketch, finishing one sketch only to begin another as she was inspired by both the music and the two dancers’ sensuous movements.

“Damn.” Jane gasped as the pair finished their dance and she put the finishing touches on her drawing. “Goddamn.”

Spying her favorite art student in the back, Ms. Defoe grinned, “Please, Jane…Come join us!”

Unable to resist the request of her favorite teacher…and…as far as the dark-haired artist was concerned…one of the few decent teachers in her high school, Jane closed her sketchbook and walked down to the stage. Climbing up the steps to the stage, Jane nodded her head in greeting, “Ms. Defoe.”

“Did you enjoy Angie and Elizaveta’s performance?” Ms. Defoe asked as the Barbies, wiping the sweat off of themselves with towels, awaited her response with a mixture of hope and dread. Hope that she enjoyed it…dread that she might make a sarcastic comment.

Taking a deep breath, Jane, opening her sketchbook, handed it to Ms. Defoe, “It would be better if I showed you.” She said in a soft voice.

“Oh my…” The fine arts teacher gasped and then, dipping her head slightly in the direction of Angie and Elizaveta asked, “Would it be all right if…” Interpreting Jane’s single nod of her head as assent, the teacher motioned for her two dance students to come and look at the sketches.

“Those are…” Angie whispered.

“Beautiful.” Elizaveta finished.

“So were the two of you.” Jane admitted. “I just let you and the music carry me.” Speaking to her teacher, the young artist declared, “I’ve got some ideas for backdrops and scenery if you’d like to see them?”

“Yes, Jane.” Ms. Defoe grinned, “We would.”

“All right.” Jane smiled as she gestured towards a small table and chairs off stage, “Ms. Defoe…Barbies…” Her grin grew wider, “Let’s go over here and I’ll show you.”

“You’re going to keep calling us Barbies, aren’t you?” Angie quipped, her lips turned up in a crooked grin.

“Afraid so.” Jane joked back with a wicked grin of her own on her face.

“Guess we’ll have to learn to live with it then.” Elizaveta smirked.

“Hey…” Angie grinned as she winked at her friend, “If we’re going to be tagged with a nickname, that works—right, Elizaveta? We’re blonde, we’re sexy and sassy all in one package. So…since we’ve got it, we’re gonna…”

“Strumpet with a trumpet!” Elizaveta laughed.

Covering her face with the palm of her hand, Jane sighed, “I’ve created a monster.”

 

“So…” Daria asked as she took a bite of her extra-meat pizza, “Got anything on their super-secret dance?”

Leaning over, Jane whispered in her friend’s ear, “It’s a super-secret.”

“Bury you up to your neck in an anthill coated with honey.” Daria grumbled.

“Sorry, amiga.” Jane’s lips turned up in an evil grin, “I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“Never stopped you before.” Daria quipped as she took a swig of her Ultra-Cola.

“I promised Ms. Defoe.” Jane said in a serious tone.

Knowing and sharing her friend’s respect for Ms. Defoe, Daria nodded her head in understanding, “Guess I’ll find out when everyone else does.”

 

“Should we rescue Mack?” Angie snickered as she and Elizaveta heard Mack try, without success, to cheer Kevin up about having to learn Shakespeare in Mr. O’Neill’s class. 

Hearing Mack’s barb to Kevin about Hamlet and skulls, Elizaveta chuckled, “I guess we better. Hi Mack!” The blonde Hungarian grinned, “Looking for a skull for Kevin?”

“More like a brain to fit in the skull.” Mack muttered, just loud enough for the Barbies to hear.

“I hear you can get a skull in Ms. Barch’s classroom, Kevin.” Angie prompted, her lips turned up in a smirk.

“Hey…thanks, Angie!” Kevin exclaimed as his girlfriend passed him by with a tempting call.

“Oh, Romeo…”

Watching in fascination as Kevin’s gaze went first to Brittany and then towards Ms. Barch’s class, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in an evil grin, “Ok…pizza on the line…skull or girlfriend? I say girlfriend. Hormones before cool skull.”

“Skull.” Angie decided with an evil grin, “Boys will be boys.”

“Brittany.” Mack smirked, “Little Kevin’s calling the shots.”

“Babe!” Kevin called out as he chased after his girlfriend.

“Guess I’m buying.” Angie sighed melodramatically, “Pizza King after school?” Seeing her friends nodding their heads in agreement, the platinum-blonde cheerleader asked, “Can Jodie join us?”

“I’ll ask her, but I think she can get away.” Mack responded. As the bell rang, the football captain sighed, “We better get to class.”

As they took their seats in Mr. O’Neill’s English class, Jodie whispered to Mack and the Barbies, “Did you hear about the break in at the cyber-café?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I caught it on the news before school. Did they catch the people who did it?”

“Lawndale P.D.?” Jodie replied with a derisive snort. “They couldn’t find their way to the donut shop without their K-9s!”

“Sssshhh…” Angie whispered, “His Limpness is about to speak.”

Instead of his intended lecture on the Bard and Romeo and Juliet, Mr. O’Neill decided to once again go off topic in an effort to, as he would put it, encourage his students to share their innermost feelings regarding the break in that had just taken place.

“Way to go, Jodie…” Angie whispered as Jodie finished telling the class, in no uncertain terms, what she thought of the people who broke into the café.

Unfortunately, Angie’s whispered praise drew the attention of Mr. O’Neill. “Angie? Why don’t you share your feelings about what happened? Does it make you angry…sad?”

“Damn.” Angie muttered under her breath so that only her fellow Barbie and Jodie could hear, “Forgot Rule Number One.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the platinum-blonde cheerleader spoke, “Like Jodie said, I don’t like it when people take other peoples’ stuff—especially when those people worked their asses off for it.” Seeing the shocked look on the teacher’s face, she flashed a rakish grin, “Hey, if Jodie can say she’s pissed off, then I can talk about people working their asses off. After all…” She added with a totally innocent look on her face, “It’s how I feel…”

As she received low-fives under their desks from Jodie and Elizaveta, both Jane’s and Daria’s lips turned up in smiles as the other students tried, with mixed success, to stifle their laughter. In an effort to salvage the situation, Mr. O’Neill called on Daria who, inadvertently, gave the teacher the opening he needed as he called for the reopening of the cybercafé as a traditional coffeehouse as a result of the auburn-haired teenager’s answer, tempting his students by saying that participation in either fundraising or performing would count as an extracurricular activity. 

Gritting her teeth as Mr. O’Neill proposed to her that she should recite one of her written works at the opening of the new coffeehouse, Daria attempted to declare conscientious objector status only to have it apparently fall on deaf ears. Saved by the bell, Daria turned to her friend and muttered, “Me and my big mouth.”

“Hey…you stepped on a land mine.” Jane quipped, “It happens.”

“I stepped on every goddamned mine in the minefield.” Daria grumbled and then sighed as she turned her head towards Mr. O’Neill standing near his desk, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

 

“That’s very well done, Jane.” Ms. Defoe commended as she examined her star student’s latest work. “You’ve really captured that sense of doubt and angst.”

“Thanks, Ms. Defoe.” Jane earnestly replied, pleased at receiving such praise from her favorite teacher.

The fine arts teacher then asked, “Do you think it’s possible that you might be able to do a small scenery backdrop when the coffeehouse opens? I’m going to ask Elizaveta and Angie if they’d be willing to perform a portion of the dance they’ve been working on there and your work would make the perfect complement to the part I’m hoping they’ll do.”

“Which part is it?” Jane asked.

Ms. Defoe, pulling Jane aside from the rest of the class, whispered in her ear. A smile appearing on the raven-haired artist’s face, Jane replied, “Not a problem.”

A few hours later, Ms. Defoe smiled as she noticed that her prize dancers, Elizaveta and Angie, were in the hallway on their way to their next class. Waving her hand, she called out, “Elizaveta! Angie! Can you come here for a moment?” Seeing them pointing at Mr. DeMartino’s classroom, the fine arts teacher smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ll write you a pass if you’re late.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Defoe!” Both teens answered as they met up with the teacher in front of her classroom just as the freshmen. including Quinn and the Fashion Club, were entering. Seeing her sister, Quinn smiled and waved and then, once she was safely within the classroom, slipped to one side of the door so that she could hear the conversation going on outside without being seen.

Noticing her friend’s actions, Stacy inquired, “What are you doing, Quinn?”

“Shush, Stacy.” Quinn whispered back, “I’m hoping they talk about that super-secret dance project I’ve been hearing about.”

As the two blondes drew closer to the teacher, Ms. Defoe smiled, “Angie…Elizaveta…I was wondering if you’d be willing to do a small part of the routine we’ve been working on at the opening of the new coffeehouse?”

“Sure, Ms. Defoe.” Elizaveta replied as her fellow blonde nodded her head in agreement. “What part did you have in mind?”

“The third movement.” Ms. Defoe replied, “You both put so much passion into it…I think it would move the audience and…I think you’re ready to do it live.”

Gazing into each other’s eyes, gentle smiles appeared on both girls’ faces as they nodded their heads once. Turning back to the teacher, Angie answered for them both, “We’d love to.”

“Great!” Ms. Defoe grinned, “Jane’s painting a special backdrop for the scene. We’ll rehearse it a few times before the performance and then when the café opens, we’ll do it for real.” Then, motioning for the two girls to come into her classroom, she said, “Come on in…I’ll get your passes.”

Moving swiftly, Quinn managed to make it to her easel just as Ms. Defoe and the Barbies entered the classroom. Seeing her sister, Elizaveta gave her a smile and a wave, “Hi Quinn.”

“Hi Elizaveta.” The red-head responded with a grin of her own.

“Here you go.” Ms. Defoe smiled as she handed the passes to her dancers. “I’ll see you next practice and we’ll get to work.”

As the girls left, Stacy asked her friend as the class began to paint their still lives of the fruit basket on display in the center of the classroom, “What did you learn?”

“They’re performing part of it at the opening of Mr. O’Neill’s coffeehouse.” Quinn answered back.

“That sounds neat.” Stacy exclaimed only to be silenced by the imperious voice of the president of the Fashion Club.

“A coffeehouse where…” Sandi sneered, “…unpopular people like artists and…” Her eyes drifted momentarily towards a freshman girl who was wearing a red top and tattered blue jeans with mauve tinted hair stood quietly painting, “…geeks like her…hang out is unfashionable.” 

“Ummm…of course, Sandi…” Quinn quickly agreed, as she glanced at a Stacy quivering in fear.

“Right, Sandi.” Stacy nodded her head,

“Unnnnnfassssshhhionaaaable…” Tiffany droned as she took out her compact and began touching up her makeup.

“It’s decided then.” Sandi, her dominance once again assured, declared as she returned to her painting. “The new coffeehouse is unfashionable, and we will not grace it with our presence.”

Motioning for her friend to join her at her easel, Quinn whispered in Stacy’s ear, “I don’t know about you, but I’m going.”

“What about Sandi?” Stacy nervously replied, barely maintaining a whisper.

“Sssshhh…” Quinn glanced in the direction of the Fashion Club president who was at that time trying to paint without getting her fingers or hands marred by paint. “What Sandi doesn’t know, won’t hurt her…right?”

“Right.” Stacy nodded her head.

“Ok…we’re going then.” Quinn declared, “I’m helping with fundraising anyway—it’s an easy extracurricular and it’ll get my mom off my back.” Seeing Ms. Defoe beginning to make her rounds, Quinn whispered to her friend as she went back to work on her painting, “Better get back…teacher’s coming.”

Ms. Defoe enjoyed looking over her students’ artwork as they composed it because it permitted her to get a glimpse into the inner souls of the young teenagers she was teaching. Of her current sophomore class, she knew that while her prize student, Jane, worked out much of her anger and insecurities through her art, the raven-haired loner could also see the beauty of creation and that was becoming more evident as her friendship with Daria grew closer and now, with her doing the scenery for her dance routine, it was becoming even more pronounced. On the other hand, Daria’s often stark and forbidding sketches reflected a desire to keep the world away as she metaphorically walled herself off from the rest of the world. As she began to peruse her freshman class’s projects, she was looking forward at looking into what their inner selves were saying.

Coming first to the introverted mauve haired student, Claire nodded her head at the near impressionistic interpretation she made of the still life. Creative…soft colors…this was someone who valued privacy, yet also appreciated quiet beauty. The art teacher concluded as she smiled, “Very good, Jeannette.” 

Examining the Asian girl’s work, Ms. Defoe shook her head as she saw an almost empty canvas, the subject of the painting appearing as a faraway object. “That’s…interesting…Tiffany.’ She remarked as the young teenager responded, in her usual slow drawl.

“Thaaaaank youuuuuuuu.”

Her attention now focused on Sandi Griffin’s work, Claire heaved an inaudible sigh as she saw a blank canvas. “Aren’t you going to paint anything, Sandi?” She asked.

“No.” The teenager responded with a haughty air of disdain, “I’m not going to get paint all over my hands.”

“Maybe art isn’t a suitable elective for you then, Sandi.” Ms. Defoe suggested, “Perhaps you should try another course—a course more attuned to your interests.” _And get the hell out of my classroom because you’re stifling the creativity of your friends_. She didn’t add even though she was sorely tempted to do so.

Now wandering to Stacy’s easel, the teacher saw that the young teenager had painted a very good still life, yet something was missing. Pondering the question for a moment, Claire nodded her head, “That’s very good, Stacy.” The teacher praised, much to the delight of her young student, “But…don’t be afraid to let yourself come through in your art. Art is personal…don’t be afraid to show that part of yourself, Ok?” She said as she made sure to use a supportive and encouraging tone of voice.

“Yes, Ms. Defoe.” Stacy, after a moment of nervousness, replied, responding positively to the upbeat tone of voice of her teacher.

As she examined the painting of her last student, Daria’s sister, Quinn, she raised her eyebrows in astonishment as she noticed that, in many ways, Quinn’s artwork reflected much of the same themes she saw in her older sister’s. Like Daria, Quinn’s interpretation reflected her desire to protect herself from the world and keep it at arm’s distance. However, unlike Daria’s use of stark colors and dark themes, Quinn’s work took the opposite route. Pastels and banal themes predominated—but the effect was the same—it represented a suit of armor protecting its wearer.

“Very interesting, Quinn.” Ms. Defoe nodded her head. _Outer differences masking the same internal conflicts_.

Glancing at the clock, the art teacher sighed, “Five minutes everyone. Clean your brushes and put everything away before the bell rings.”

 

“So…what’s happening at school?” Helen, determined to have a family bonding night, inquired as everyone picked at their dinner.

“The school’s reopening the cybercafé as a coffeehouse.” Elizaveta replied in between bites of food.

“Yeah.” Quinn agreed, “Mr O’Neill and Ms. Li said that if you participate it counts as an extracurricular so I’m helping out with fundraising.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head approvingly, glad that she was involved in something other than the Fashion Club, “That’ll help you with getting into college.” She then turned to her ward, “What are you doing, Elizaveta? I know between cheerleading and dance, you’re involved in extracurriculars already, but it never hurts to have a little something extra to add to your application.”

“Angie and I are performing part of the routine we’ve been working on at the café when it opens.” The blonde teenager responded, receiving in return a favorable smile from her guardian.

"That’s great, Kiddo!” Jake exclaimed enthusiastically.

“And what about you, Daria?” Helen asked, already anticipating and dreading her eldest daughter’s response.

“It’s extracurricular.” Daria flatly declared, “It’s supposed to be voluntary, so I don’t want to volunteer.”

Shaking her head, Helen quickly silenced her husband when it appeared that he was taking Daria’s side. However, as she continued to argue using logic and coercion, she grew increasingly frustrated at her oldest daughter’s intransigence until she was left with one final card to play. Deciding to open the silo doors, Helen warned, “Even though you have good grades, Daria, you need extracurriculars and you need to learn to socialize and work with others. If nothing else, there’s always music camp for the summer…”

After mounting a desperate last-ditch resistance, Daria realized that this time she could not bribe or con her way out of either participating in the extracurricular or being forced to play endless variations of ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ in music camp. Reluctantly bowing down to the inevitable, she struck her colors, surrendering. “All right…I’ll do something.”

“What?” Helen inquired.

“I’ll help with fundraising.” Daria grumbled as she finished her dinner and, taking her dirty dishes, left the table. Returning to her room, the auburn-haired misanthrope dialed a familiar number.

“Jane?”

“Yeah, Daria…what’s up?”

“I got roped into helping with fundraising for that damned coffeehouse.” Daria groused.

“Bribery didn’t work?” Jane inquired.

“Nope and Mom threatened the nuclear option—music camp and endless playing of ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ on flute.”

“That’s cruel and inhuman punishment.” Jane declared, “Well…I’m already doing my extracurricular—I’m painting the backdrop for the Barbies’ dance number.”

“We get to peek inside peoples’ homes…” Daria tempted.

Deciding to help her friend out of her jam, Jane sighed, “All right…but I’m bringing my camera.”

 

Smirking as they entered Ms. Barch’s class, Angie snickered as she gossiped to Jodie and Elizaveta. “Brittany was telling me that her and Kevin went to Mr. DeMartino’s house to sell him something to help raise funds. When he answered the door, he had a chef’s hat on and was clutching a whole chicken real tight by its neck.”

“You mean…” Elizaveta and Jodie both giggled as they picked up on the joke.

“Yeah.” Angie laughed, “He was choking his chicken.”

“What’s the joke?” A clueless Kevin asked as the three girls took their seats.

“Nothing, Kevin…” Jodie smirked, “Just go back to sticking pencils up your nose.”

After several minutes, Ms. Li’s voice came through the intercom. “Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane to the Principal’s Office—Now!”

Watching as Jane and Daria left the classroom, Angie whispered to her friends, “I wonder what they did to get the Wicked Witch pissed off this time.”

As she sat in front of the principal, Daria bit back her first impulse to tell the dictator of Lawndale High and the wimp standing next to her what they could do with their fundraising candy. Instead she declared that she had no desire to face a possible manslaughter conviction for selling candy to a probable diabetic who had just passed out in front of them.

“You could recite one of your stories…” Mr. O’Neill tempted, “And Jane…”

“I’ve already got my extracurricular.” Jane declared, “I’m painting the backdrop for the Barbies’ dance.” Then, seeing that her friend looked like she was about to go down with the ship, Jane, in an effort to save her, sung in a low voice that only Daria could hear, “Pop goes the weasel…”

Her song having the desired effect, Daria let out a breath. “All right. I’ll recite something.”

Her lips turning up in a vindictive grin, Ms. Li declared, “You still will not receive extracurricular credit. We’re two hundred dollars short of our goal.”

Just then, rescue came from a most unlikely source as Quinn burst into the office, her hands filled with cash bills and her lips turned up in a big grin, “I need more phone cards—I sold all of mine and made two hundred dollars!”

 

“We better hurry and get our seats.” Jane urged as she almost pushed her reluctant friend towards the front near the stage. “C’mon, Daria! I want to see the look on your face when you see the Barbies dance! A little praise aimed at moi for my gorgeous backdrop wouldn’t be out of place either.” She quipped as she gestured towards the stage, the backdrop currently covered by a large tarp.

Quickly finding seats near the rear, far from her sister and Jane, Quinn and Stacy sat down. “If it wasn’t for you, Quinn, they wouldn’t have been able to do this. They owe it all to you.”

“Thanks, Stacy.” Quinn beamed, touched by the genuine sincerity of her friend’s praise. As she watched students coming into the coffeehouse and taking seats at the different tables, the popular red-head muttered in an almost inaudible voice, “I’m glad Sandi and Tiffany didn’t come with us. It’s fun coming someplace and just relaxing with a friend for once.” Pretending that she didn’t overhear her friend’s words, Stacy’s lips turned up in a slight, shy grin.

“You remember your lines, Kevvy?” Brittany asked as she twirled a lock of hair.

“Of course, Babe.” Kevin grinned, “I’m the QB!”

Hearing Kevin’s words and noticing that he was toting a skull in his hands, Jane quipped, “Does he know he’s supposed to play Romeo?”

“No…” Daria snarked back, “He’s a ventriloquist’s dummy.”

“So that would make the skull…”

“The real person.” Daria finished.

“We better hurry.” Jodie said as she and Mack entered the coffeehouse. “The front seats are filling fast, and I want to see Angie and Elizaveta’s number and what Daria’s going to do.”

Seeing that the only vacant front table seat left was between Daria and Jane on one side and Kevin and Brittany on the other, Mack sighed, “Well…at least there’s intelligent life at one table.”

“Hey, Mack Daddy!”

Gritting his teeth, Mack responded as he and Jodie took their seats, “I told you not to call me that, Kevin.”

“Whatever you say, bro.” Kevin innocently responded, having already forgotten what Mack had told him.

“Ok, girls.” Ms. Defoe grinned as she turned to her dancers, currently wearing identical brown trench coats to hide their costumes. Get to your positions. Show’s about to start.”

Slipping into the coffeehouse, a dark-haired man with tattoos on his arms and wearing a scraggly t-shirt and jeans and with his ear pierced, stopped inside and leaned against the wall near the door. Seeing a blonde teenager wearing a trench coat approaching, he quietly observed her as she stood next to him. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” The blonde replied.

“You one of the dancers?”

“Yeah.” The girl replied.

“Cool.”

Turning her head, Jane spotted her brother talking with Elizaveta. Just as she was about to wave for him to join her and Daria, she spied his subtle head shake. Shrugging her shoulders, she returned to her conversation with her friend.

“You know Jane?” Elizaveta asked.

“My sister.” The man replied, “I’m Trent.”

“Daria said you took her and Jane to Brittany’s party.” The blonde responded, “I’m Elizaveta. One of Daria’s sisters.”

“Cool.” He coughed.

Taking her position at the side door on the opposite side of Elizaveta, Angie took several deep breaths as she waved at her friend, Brittany, who waved back.

Slipping in just before the show started, Jeannette took a seat by herself near Quinn and Stacy. Tuning out their conversation, she quietly took out her sketchbook and began drawing, her first picture that of the two teenagers seated in front of her.

Taking the stage, Mr. O’Neill introduced the first act. “Welcome to the new Lawndale Coffeehouse where we can all get together and share our inner selves through our art, music, and poetry. I encourage you all to take this opportunity to draw closer to your inner selves…”

“Just introduce the damned act and get off the stage!” An anonymous voice called out to the sound of cheers.

“Uhhhh…yes…” The English teacher stammered, “Our first performance will be a dance number performed by Elizaveta Bathory and Angelica Harmon.”

The lights then dimmed as the tarp was snatched off the backdrop to reveal a weaving tapestry of colors—blues and warm oranges and reds coming together to form a rhythm in visual art.

“Can I cook or what?” Jane whispered to her friend as music, soft and sensuous, began to play. 

Two spotlights then turned on the two blonde dancers, both wearing their trench coats. The two girls walked slowly and deliberately towards each other as the music played until they drew within feet of each other in the center of the café. As they threw off their coats simultaneously, both girls revealed their costumes: body stockings with Elizaveta’s an arctic blue with white, while Angie’s was of warm oranges and reds. The dancers then began their dance, mirroring each other as they danced Then, as the music picked up in tempo, they both pirouetted and then, taking each other’s hands, danced together, their movements taking them up and down the aisle, eventually ending up with the pair on the stage just as the tempo once again slowed, this time taking on a slow, deep quality. It was then that the pair’s movements became more sensual…taking on a slightly amatory quality as their dance now resembled that of two lovers coming together, drawing apart, and then coming back together again. Then, they separated, dancing to opposite sides of the stage only to draw closer together again as the music became even more sensuous, until the dancers stood in front of each other, their lips within a hair’s breadth of the other’s. As the music’s final notes played, the two girls, deviating from the script, allowed their lips to touch for just the briefest of seconds. Those fleeting kisses had the effect of not only electrifying the audience, but also the two dancers.

The lights coming back on, the dancers reluctantly came down from their natural high as, still holding hands, they bowed before their appreciative and applauding audience.

“I wonder if anyone else picked up on what I’m sure I saw.” Jane muttered in a low voice.

“What, Jane?” Daria asked.

Seeing the expression on her friend’s face, Jane shook her head, “Nothing Daria.” _You missed it, amiga, and it’s as clear as the nose on your face_. Then, turning her head back towards Trent, she spotted her brother’s slight nod of his head. _Figured you’d pick up on it, bro. You’re not as clueless as you like people to think you are_. Finally, she glanced at Ms. Defoe and raised her eyebrows. The teacher, in wordless reply, also dipped her head once as a warm smile appeared on her face. _Knew you’d catch it too, Ms. Defoe_. Her eyes scanning the rest of the café, Jane spotted that same look on the face of the girl with mauve tinted hair and, surprise of all surprises, Stacy of all people. Who, upon seeing that Jane was looking at her, quietly smiled and nodded her head.

“What was that all about, Stacy?” Quinn asked.

“Nothing.” Stacy responded with a knowing grin. 

“That was beautiful girls!” Ms. Defoe grinned as she hugged both her dancers who then hugged each other, the dancers not wanting to release themselves from their embrace until they heard a discreet cough from their teacher. “I think I see Mr. O’Neill coming over.”

Reluctantly tearing themselves away from each other, the pair steeled themselves for the inevitable stream of tears from their English teacher. “That was so…” Mr. O’Neill, his tears flowing freely, could no longer continue until Ms. Defoe, shaking her head as her lips turned up in a wry grin, told the girls to go ahead and change and join the audience and that she’d settle her fellow teacher down.

“You know…” Elizaveta stammered as she began to strip off her body stocking in the backstage ladies’ room, “I…enjoyed that kiss.”

“I did too.” Angie replied in a breathy voice as she also stripped off her body stocking. Then, after they’d both changed, the platinum-blonde cheerleader said in a gentle, almost pleading voice as she drew closer to her friend, “I wouldn’t mind doing that again.”

“I wouldn’t either.” Elizaveta said as her lips parted. Then, drawn to each other by an invisible cord, they kissed. This time their kiss was a long, gentle, lingering kiss that went on until they heard the door opening and a voice call out.

“You girls decent?”

Unwillingly breaking from their kiss, Angie responded, “I don’t know about decent, but we’re dressed.”

Jane then appeared, “Come on, Barbies. Next act’s about to start. It’s Kevin and Brittany. Should be worth a few laughs.

“Does he still have that skull?” Elizaveta asked with a crooked grin.

“Oh yeah!” Jane laughed. “Come on!”

Watching with Jodie and Mack, the Barbies and their friends alternately laughed, groaned, and on a couple of occasions applauded as the different acts took the stage. Then, for the final act of the evening, Daria took the stage.

“This is going to be good.” Jane said as she pulled her chair to the other table to join the foursome. “Daria promised something that’ll bring down the house.”

“Literally?” Elizaveta quipped.

“You never know.” Jane smirked as her eyes caught the two Barbies holding each other’s hands under the table.

Her lips turning up in a slight grin, Daria began reading her latest Melody Powers short story, swiftly getting the attention of her audience while at the same time driving poor Mr. O’Neill to near hysterics until, the story finally over, Kevin led a charge of the football team—their goal to sack the Russian embassy in Lawndale.

“Don’t those idiots know Lawndale doesn’t have a Russian embassy?” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Sssshhh…” Angie quipped, “You’ll just confuse them.” She then turned to Jane and Daria. “You two want a lift back to your homes—I’m taking Elizaveta back, so no problem.”

“No thanks.” Jane smirked as she nodded at her brother who was even now approaching, “We’ve got a ride.”

“Ok…” Angie grinned, “We’ll go now. Good night and Jane…” She smiled, “Thanks for painting the beautiful backdrop.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, Barbies.” Jane grinned. “It was fun. You two take care and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She said with a wink.

“That was a wonderful evening.” Elizaveta smiled as Angie pulled up in front of the Morgendorffer house.

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back, “I especially liked it when we…”

“Did this?” Elizaveta said with a twinkle in her eye as she leaned over and kissed her girlfriend. This kiss, unlike the earlier tentative kisses, was passionate as tongues met and explored. Reluctantly breaking, Elizaveta whispered, “That was nice…can we do it again?”

In wordless answer, Angie and Elizaveta’s lips once again met in a passionate kiss until finally, they broke from their embrace. “I better get in before anya and apa get upset.” Elizaveta whispered in a nervous voice, “Do you wanna…this weekend…maybe…”

“Go out on a date?” Angie whispered back. “I’d love to. There’s a little jazz club on Dega Street I like to go to…interested?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled as she gave her girlfriend a good night kiss, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, drágám…darling.”

“Good night.” Angie smiled back as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss, “Tomorrow, drágám.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny thing was, I did not intend for our couple to come together here--the original intention was during "The Daria Hunter", but, sometimes when you're writing, your characters will yell at you and tell you to do this or do that and Elizaveta and Angie were practically screaming at me that this was the right time. When your characters start yelling at you like that, you had better listen.
> 
> This part takes place during and between the episodes "College Bored" and "Cafe Disaffecto"
> 
> Finally, Angie's last name has nothing to do with the actress of the same name. I literally picked that name out at random because I felt that Angie the Cheerleader needed a last name if I was going to give her a proper backstory and make a background character into a main character. Harmon's a pretty common last name and it just popped into my mind.


	8. A Jazzy First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relationship building chapter where Daria learns a little bit about tact and Jane bonds a bit more with the Barbies.

As she read the morning paper over the breakfast table, Helen shook her head, “They’re closing down the coffeehouse? Extreme right-wing elements?”

“What?” Jake exclaimed, “Skin-heads here? Rotten neo-Nazis!”

“Of course, there aren’t any right-wing extremists here, Jake.” Helen sighed as she turned to her children. “This isn’t Highland. So…what did happen?”

“Kevin and most of the football team—other than Mack and Robert and one or two others took off and marched down the street threatening to burn the Russian Embassy in Lawndale.”

“But there is no Russian Embassy in Lawndale!” Jake declared.

“This is Kevin and the football team we’re talking about…” Daria quipped.

“I didn’t see where they did any damage.” Helen noted. “So why are they closing down the café? From what I’m reading…” Her lips turned up in a smile, “Yours and Angie’s dance, Elizaveta, went really well, and also your story was very good, Daria—even though it did set those football players off. I’m reading an interview the paper did with the Landon and Mackenzie kids and they say they liked what you recited.”

“It was good.” Elizaveta agreed and then smiled as she saw a slight smile from her other sibling. “And all the football players did was march up and down the street yelling stupid stuff—no harm was done.”

“So…” Helen asked, “Why did the school close the coffeehouse. It seems a bit drastic to me.”

“It wasn’t the school.” Daria replied, “It was Mr. O’Neill. He’s using the demonstration as an excuse. He didn’t like what I’d written.”

“Why not, Kiddo?” Jake inquired.

“Because I intended my story to piss him off.” Daria flatly responded. “I was being forced…” Her eyes focused on those of her mother’s as she spoke, “…into participating in an activity I did not want to do. I had no choice in the matter. You made it quite clear that it was either that or music camp. Well…” She defiantly declared as she got up from the breakfast table and began walking up to her room, “I participated.”

“Damn.” Helen muttered under her breath as the phone rang. Picking up the phone and answering it, the harried mother sighed, “Of course, Eric. I can come in early. No…” She shook her head, “It’s nothing serious. I’ll be right in.”

“I’ve got to go to work too, girls.” An uncomfortable Jake declared as he also got up from the table. “Be good and have fun in school.”

Waiting until both parents were safely out of the house and her biological sister had gone up stairs, Quinn leaned over and whispered to Elizaveta, “Don’t tell her I said this, but I thought Daria’s story was good.” She then paused for a moment and added, “And I really liked yours and Angie’s dance.”

“That’s kind of you, Quinn. I’ll pass it on to Angie.” Elizaveta smiled as she picked up her dishes, “I heard that it was you who raised the money needed to get the café open in the first place.” She said, “If it wasn’t for you, none of us would have gotten any credit. You deserve thanks too.”

 

Hearing a horn beeping, Elizaveta grinned as she picked up her bookbag. “That’s Angie! I’ll see you two at school.” Running to the car, the young blonde slipped into the passenger’s seat and gave her new girlfriend a kiss. “Morning, drágám.”

“Good morning yourself, baby.” Angie smiled back as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss. As they pulled away and began the drive to school, Angie asked, “We still on for our date this weekend?”

“Yes.” Elizaveta grinned, “I can’t wait.”

“Great!” Angie grinned, “I know you’re just going to love Alessandro’s. It’s a nice, laid back café. Most of the people who come there are adults, so we’re going to stand out a little bit, but they’re all cool—Ms. Defoe likes hanging out there.” She then frowned, “So does Mr. O’Neill.”

“Well…Elizaveta quipped, “There has to be a downside to everything.”

“That’s the truth.” Angie chuckled and then grew serious for a moment, “You know…It might not be a bad idea for us to low-profile it around school for a while—until we get a better feel for how people will react to us being together.”

Remembering their fellow club member Jennifer’s reaction to the pair of them dancing together during the dance club rehearsal, Elizaveta nodded her head, “I guess I see your point. Do you think a lot of people here would get upset or try to do anything to us just because we’re going out with each other?

After several moments of careful thought, Angie replied, “For the most part, I don’t think a lot of people around town or at school care one way or the other—this isn’t the 1950s after all! And it’s not like we’re going to be making out in front of everyone like Kevin and Brittany do.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Elizaveta responded, “Yeah…I don’t like the idea of putting on a performance in front of Li’s cameras either.” She then stated, “I think we should just behave like any other couple who like being together—not like Brittany and Kevin…” She chuckled, “But like Jodie and Mack. You don’t see them making out in front of everyone or doing anything like that.”

Angie giggled for a moment and then, her laughter fading away, she cautioned, “There probably are going to be some who are going to get pissy anyway. I just want you to be ready for that, baby.”

“So…” Elizaveta chuckled, “No announcement in Brittany’s gossip column in the Lawndale Lowdown?”

“Not yet.” Angie laughed and then grew serious again, “Look I’m not ashamed of us going out, and if anyone asks me, then I’m going to tell them the truth—that we are going together and if they don’t like it, they can shove it up their asses.”

“Good.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I’ll tell them the same thing.” Tilting her head slightly to the right, the blonde Hungarian then said, “I think we should tell our parents though—they’re going to find out very quickly.”

“I think Mom kinda sorta suspects already.” Angie replied, “I think she’ll accept it. What about yours?”

Shaking her head, Elizaveta responded, “I don’t know. I remember Daria telling me that they were both hippie types and lived in a commune and she thinks they did a lot of that free love stuff, so they might be ok with it.” Pausing to take a deep breath and then exhale, she shrugged her shoulders, “But that was then…I’m not sure how they’d react now. Apa gets pretty excitable about stuff and anya…well…I don’t know.”

“So…how do you want to approach them?” Angie asked.

“It might not be a bad idea to ask Daria.” Elizaveta replied, “She might have some ideas.”

“Would she play it straight?” Angie, knowing from her girlfriend of the Morgendorffer tendency to rely on bribes and blackmail to manipulate people and situations, asked with a note of doubt in her voice.

“I hope she will.” Elizaveta responded with careful deliberation, “If not…” Angie saw a fierce determination and fire in her blonde companion’s eyes that she hadn’t seen before,” … then baszd her…we’ll work it out ourselves.”

Angie grinned, “That works for me. So, girlfriend…” She said as the pair got out of the car, “Ready for another day in paradise/”

 

Entering the school grounds, the girls first ran into Quinn and Fashion Club. Seeing Quinn and Stacy’s smiles as they greeted them, they smiled back as Elizaveta and Angie said “Hello,” back to the red-head and pig-tailed girls as they passed them by.

Noticing Sandi’s questioning look, Quinn simply stated, seemingly unaware of the hypocrisy of her actions in her treatment of Elizaveta in comparison to how she treated her biological sister, “She’s my sister—what am I supposed to do? Ignore her.”

“Of course not, Quinn.” Sandy magnanimously replied. Her eyes then fell on Stacy, “It’s just that I’m surprised they said hello to you too, Stacy.”

Shrugging her shoulders, the neurotic brown-haired girl responded with a nervous giggle, “I talked to them in between classes last week. They’re ok.”

Accepting Stacy’s explanation for now, Sandy declared with a sniff, “They do meet our stringent fashion standards and they are popular.”

It didn’t take long for Angie and Elizaveta to find the person they were looking for, standing in front of her locker, talking with Jane. Approaching the two nominal outcasts, Elizaveta cleared her throat, “Daria…” She asked, “…we were wondering if you might be able to help us out with a matter…it’s something important.”

As she eyed the Barbies, Daria replied in her usual flat, sarcastic tone, “Group rates apply.”

Her eyes momentarily revealing her surprise and disappointment at her sibling’s answer, Elizaveta answered back in a cool, steely voice as the two girls turned about and walked away, “A kurva életbe! If you don’t want to help us, just say so! We’ll take care of it ourselves.”

Seeing the look on Jane’s face, Daria exclaimed, “What?”

Jane covered her face with her palm, “You really don’t get it, do you Daria?” Shaking her head at the occasional obtuseness of her friend, she remarked, “Sometimes you can be as thick as Kevin.” Coming to a decision, Jane announced as her friend looked on in confusion, “I’ll meet you in class…there’s a couple of girls I need to talk to first.”

“Angie…Elizaveta!” Jane called out to the two girls, “Wait up!”

Pausing as the artist caught up with them, Angie asked, “What is it, Jane?”

Seeing an empty classroom, Jane pulled at the pair to come with her, “In here…we can talk without being overheard.”

As they entered the classroom, Jane shut the door and motioned for the girls to join her at the teacher’s desk. Taking a deep breath, the raven-haired outcast apologized for her friend, “I’m sorry about Daria…sometimes she can be pretty thick about things. Maybe I can help you with your problem…”

“I’m not sure you can, Jane…” Elizaveta murmured, still hurt by Daria’s reaction.

“You’re wanting to know how to approach Helen and Jake about coming out.” Jane flatly declared.

“How did…” Angie began only to be interrupted by the artist.

“It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention to what you were doing in that little dance of yours.” Jane chuckled, “That was a mating dance if ever I saw one.”

“Who else suspects?” Elizaveta asked.

“Only a few.” Jane replied, “Me…Trent…Ms. Defoe…I think Jodie might have an idea…and…believe it or not…Stacy.”

“Stacy? Quinn’s friend? One of the fashion drones?” Angie exclaimed in surprise. Then, after thinking for a moment, nodded her head, “That’s why she greeted us when we came in to school. She was with Quinn at the café.”

“Yeah.” Jane laughed, “Go figure. But I don’t think she’ll say anything—she’s probably afraid you’ll kill her if she does.” Her laughter fading, she continued, her facial expression now serious, “So…you wanna know how to approach Helen and Jake without starting World War Three.”

“Yeah.’ Elizaveta nodded her head and then laid out her and Angie’s plan. “We’re going to tell Angie’s anya first—we think she probably already suspects that Angie’s gay and it might go easier than anya and apa.”

Nodding her head, Jane agreed. “That’s probably right. So…what about Helen and Jake?”

Taking a deep breath, Elizaveta exhaled, “We were thinking about approaching anya first.”

“That’s probably a good move too.” Jane agreed, “She’s less excitable than Jake. Just get ready to be lectured about…stuff.”

Blushing, Angie grinned, “Yeah…we haven’t done anything more than kissing and holding hands…so far.”

“We’ve just started going out.” Elizaveta, also blushing, laughed, “We’re not looking to rush into things yet.”

“Yeah…’ Jane chuckled, “I doubt she’ll make you get a physical exam from a doctor or anything like that, but…better to not mention anything if she doesn’t and if she does…just nod your head and agree.”

“It’s apa I’m more worried about.” Elizaveta confessed, “He might take it well or…”

“You might get a military school or Mad Dog meltdown.” Jane finished as the young blonde nodded her head. “I’d say go ahead and tell him and be ready to move quick to calm him down if it’s looking like he’s going to explode, but...” The artist advised, “…I have a feeling he might just surprise you. He’s not a bad man.”

“I know.” Elizaveta agreed with a fond smile. “He’s been a wonderful apa. He’s just had some bad stuff happen to him and it comes back.” She then let out a mournful sigh, “At least he can remember where he came from.”

“Hey, baby…” Angie consoled as she gave her girlfriend a quick hug, “You’ll get your memories back one day…I know you will.”

Her serious face back, Jane asked, “Have you considered what the rest of the cheerleader squad and others will say and do when and if you come out here?”

“We’re going to hold off on coming out openly for now.” Angie declared as Elizaveta took her hand in hers. “We’ll tell a few people we trust like you and Jodie and Mack and as for the rest…it’s none of their business.”

“That’ll work for a while.” Jane answered back, “But sooner or later, it is going to come out…you’ll be caught kissing each other or something like that and you know how fast gossip spreads here. Better be ready for it when it happens. And when and if it does hit the fan…” She vowed, “I’ve got your back.” Pausing for a moment, she added in a meaningful tone, “And you’ll have Daria backing you up too. My amiga’s all right…I know right now you’re pissed off at her but give her a chance once you’ve cooled down. It’s just that sometimes she puts her foot in her mouth.”

“Thanks Jane!” Both girls smiled and then kissed her on each cheek.

“Hey!” Jane laughed, “I don’t do threesomes!” 

 

As the girls entered DeMartino’s class, they smiled warmly at Jodie and Mack as they took their seats and then flashed a friendly grin to Jane as she took her normal seat next to Daria.

“What were the three of you talking about earlier?” Daria asked Jane in a low whisperer.

“Sorry…” Jane apologized sotto voce, “Confidential information—need to know only.”

Standing in front of his desk, the history teacher began his class on the Second World War. “Can ANYONE tell me what brought about U.S. ENTRY into the SECOND World WAR?” His lips then turned up in a feral grin, “Kevin?”

“Ummm…. Diamond Cove?”

“At least you knew that it had something to do with something women wear as jewelry.” Mr. DeMartino said in a deceptively soft voice, “Brittany?”

“Uhhhh…The sinking of the Lucy Tania?” Brittany answered back with a vapid look on her face.

His eye now bulging, the teacher turned his attention to the Barbies. “Angie? Can you help your fellow CHEERLEADER?”

“The attack on Pearl Harbor.” Angie promptly replied, earning a smile from the teacher.

“Very GOOD, Angie!”

“You’re buying the pizza.” Angie whispered to her girlfriend.

“Join me and Mack on the knoll for lunch?” Jodie whispered as DeMartino got ready to ask his next question.

Nodding their heads, the Barbies and the rest of the class gritted their teeth as the clock wound down to the end of the period. As the bell rang, Elizaveta and Angie were joined by Jodie and Mack. “We need to talk to you about something.” Elizaveta said as the foursome made their way out of the building and began to walk towards the knoll in the middle of the campus.

“Yeah.” Mack nodded his head, “We’ve got an idea what it’s about. It’d probably be better to wait until we get to the knoll before we talk…” He then glanced at Upchuck, “Less chance of dealing with nosy snoopers there.”

As the four teenagers passed by where Daria and Jane sat, Elizaveta and Angie flashed a smile and small wave at Jane who smiled and waved back. Then, finding a spot out of earshot of everyone else they sat down. “So…” Angie began as the teenagers took out their lunches, “You ready for out little bit of news.”

“Yeah…lay it on us.” Mack grinned.

“As if you two don’t already know.” Elizaveta smirked. “Ok…Angie and I are officially a couple now.”

“That’s great!” Jodie grinned, “Let me guess…last night…right?”

“Yeah.” Angie smiled, “That’s when we decided we liked each as more than just friends.”

“So…” Jodie asked, “What next?”

“Next…we tell our parents.” Elizaveta sighed.

“Don’t worry.” Mack said encouragingly, kissing his friends on their cheeks, “I’m sure it’ll be ok. And…” He added as Jodie also kissed both of the girls on their cheeks, “Thanks for trusting us enough to tell us. And we’ll keep it quiet as long as you want us to.” He promised as Jodie nodded her head in agreement

“We know you will.” Angie and Elizaveta both smiled, “You’re our friends.” 

Sitting by themselves within sight, but out of earshot, Jane looked at her friend and sighed.

Shaking her head as she watched the four teenagers sitting out of earshot of her and her friend, Daria exclaimed as she saw Jane lower her head and shake it, her voice inflection showing her growing irritation, “What, Jane?” 

“You still don’t get it, Daria.” Jane declared and then explained, “Those two…” She then gestured at the Barbies, “…wanted to tell you something important. They trusted you enough to want your help—and you tried to charge them for it—to turn it into a business proposition.”

Shaking her head, Daria declared, “That’s the way it’s always worked with me and Quinn…”

“Elizaveta’s not Quinn, Daria!” Jane explained in a calm voice, “You can’t treat her like you do Quinn or your parents. You’ve got to use a different approach with her. She’s not going to negotiate with you or pay you off. You saw her reaction—she’ll just walk away from you.”

“Well…” Daria replied, “They obviously talked to you…what was it about?”

“I told you earlier. It’s not for me to say.” Jane flatly responded. “It’s up to them if they want to talk to you about it or not. You had your shot, amiga, and you blew it.”

“Damn.” Daria cursed in a soft, inaudible voice.

Her lips turning up in a warm smile, Jane said encouragingly, “Give Elizaveta some time and then apologize. But I’d wait until she cools down…” The artist warned, “She might not show it…but I’ve got a feeling she’s got a temper and right now, she’s not happy with you.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Daria asked.

“I saw it in her eyes.” Jane simply replied.

 

“First stop…Mom.” Angie said as they entered Cashman’s and went to the women’s section. Seeing her mother, Angie waved, "Mom…can me and Elizaveta talk to you for a moment? It’s important.”

“Sure, honey. Jessica Harmon grinned, “Let me clock out and we’ll go to the food court—my treat.”

“Thanks, Mom.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader smiled as her mother joined the two girls and they walked to the food court. As Jessica ordered sushi from a Japanese kiosk, Elizaveta and Angie both ordered miso soup, with all three ordering hot green tea to drink. Picking a quiet, secluded area, the three sat down to eat.

“Ok…” Jessica said as she sipped her tea, “What do you need to talk about.”

“Mom…” Angie stammered as Elizaveta took her hand in hers, “Ummm…I’ve got something I need to tell you.’

“You’re gay.” Jessica interjected with a warm smile.

“You knew?” A surprised Angie exclaimed.

“I had a good idea.” Mrs. Harmon answered back. “Since you’ve been dating, you’ve never dated a boy more than once or twice—when you do go out—which isn’t that often. You never talk about the boys at school and…” She smiled as she saw the two girls holding hands, “…the only person you have been talking about almost nonstop since school began is Elizaveta. It was pretty easy for me to connect the dots.”

“So…you’re not upset?”

“Of course not, dear.” Jessica replied, “I love you. You’re my daughter.” She then frowned, “But…you two are going to run into problems. Even though things are a lot better now than when I was your age, you’re still going to run into situations where you’ll have to put up with crap.” She then gazed at the two girls with loving, yet determined eyes, “I also want you two to know that you can always come to me for help or just someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.”

“Thanks, Mom…that means a lot…and…I love you too.” Angie said as she brushed back a tear.

“Yes, thank you, Mrs. Harmon.” Elizaveta added as she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand.

“So…” Jessica inquired as they finished their meal, “I guess you two are going to tell the Morgendorffers now?”

“Yeah, Mom.” Angie replied, “Wish us luck.”

“It’ll be all right.” Jessica smiled, “Just be as honest with them as you were with me and you’ll be ok.”

 

As she digested the news that the two girls seated in front of her desk just gave her, Helen nodded her head once. Finally speaking, she said with a supportive smile, “First…I want to thank you both for coming to me and confiding in me—even though I have a feeling I’m not the first person you came to. I know that it probably wasn’t easy for you to do that. You also seem to have considered all of the ramifications of what you’re doing and that shows a great deal of maturity on your part. You have my full support and I’m sure you’ll have your father’s when you tell him. If there’s anything you need or if anyone gives you a hard time, you just let me know and I’ll deal with it.” Pausing for a moment as she fidgeted in her seat, the auburn-haired lawyer stated, “I’m not going to ask you whether you’ve been physically intimate yet or not…”

“We haven’t done anything more than kissing and holding hands, Anya.” Elizaveta said with a shaky grin.

“Thanks for being honest with me.” Helen smiled. “I know that wasn’t easy for you to tell me. I’ll spare you the lecture about being careful then—you two have shown me that you’re mature enough to know what you’re doing. At least…” She fidgeted again, “…we don’t have to worry about anything like an unwanted pregnancy. But…if and when you do decide to take your relationship to the next level, please don’t go skulking about in sleazy motel rooms behind our backs or anything like that. Be honest with us…ok?”

Both girls nodded their heads, “Ok.”

“That’s all we’re asking.” Helen smiled, “So…I guess you’re going to tell your father now…” She stated, phrasing her command as a gentle hint.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta said in a soft voice.

“He’ll take the news just fine, dear.” Helen said in a supportive voice, “Just be as honest with him as you’ve been with me.” Her lips then turned up in a crooked grin, “He’ll probably take it better than if Angie were a boy.”

 

His face an expressionless mask as he took in the news the two girls seated in front of him had just delivered to him, it seemed a lifetime before he finally responded, his lips turning up in a wide grin, “Thank you for telling me, girls. I know it wasn’t easy for you. I couldn’t ever talk to…”

Sensing that her guardian was about to go on another Mad Dog rant, Elizaveta moved quickly, putting her hand over his, “Thanks, apa, for being here for us…you’re the greatest apa I could ever have…”

The warmth of his ward’s hands along with her soothing and comforting words quickly calming him down, Jake declared, “If anyone gives you a hard time, just let your father know and I’ll take care of ‘em. You’re just as important to me, Elizaveta, as Daria and Quinn, and Angie…that goes for you too—anyone gives you any trouble, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Apa!” Elizaveta smiled as both girls hugged her guardian, “You’re the best apa ever!”

Blushing as he returned the girls’ hugs, Jake smiled, “And you and Daria and Quinn are my little girls.”

 

“Hmmm…not bad…” Elizaveta grinned as she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room. Deciding on a black two-piece maxi-dress with a side slit and wrapping short sleeve crop top along with a silver necklace with a dark blue afghanite pendant, along with her navel ring and nose stud, and wearing stiletto heels, she looked enticing and yet also elegant. “Perfect outfit for a jazz club.” She said to herself as she made last minute adjustments to her makeup. Picking up her purse, she exited her room as Daria passed her by on the way to the bathroom. Ignoring her auburn-haired step-sister, she made her way down the stairs.

“Going out with Angie tonight, Elizaveta?” Jake asked as he poured a martini for himself from the pitcher.

“Yeah, Apa.” The young blonde grinned as the doorbell rang. “I’ve got it.” She smiled as she answered her door. “Hi drágám!” Elizaveta said as she kissed her girlfriend, “You’re looking beautiful tonight.”

“I’ll say!” Jake exclaimed. “So, where are you girls off to tonight?”

Angie, wearing a blue bodice and skirt combination with her silver necklace and amethyst pendant and also wearing high heels, smiled back at her girlfriend as she returned her kiss. “You’re looking pretty yourself, drágám.” Then, answering Jake, she replied, “We’re going to a little jazz club I know on Dega Street—Alessandro’s.”

“I know the owner!” Jake smiled, “He’s one of my clients. Just tell ‘em you’re my daughter, Elizaveta, and he’ll comp you.”

“Thanks, Apa!” Elizaveta smiled as she kissed her guardian on the cheek.

“Ready?” Angie grinned.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled as the pair headed off together.

“Don’t stay out too late, kids!” Jake called back.

“Come on.” Angie smiled as the two girls wrapped their arms around each other’s waists. “The band playing tonight’s pretty good. They play some of the best Chicago blues I’ve ever heard.”

Watching the pair as they walked to their car from her window, Daria sighed, “That’s what they wanted to talk to me about. Jane’s right…I blew it. Dammit!” 

“Hi, Stacy.” Quinn spoke into her phone as she watched Elizaveta and Angie walk away from the house arm-in-arm from her window. “Yeah…you were right. Well…” She chuckled, “That just means we won’t have to worry about them competing with us for dates. I understand, Stacy. I’m not going to tell Sandy or anyone else—I promise. I’ve got to go now. My date should be showing up soon. Yeah, I’m going out with Matthew tonight. That’s good, Stacy. He’s a good choice—you two have fun too. I’ll talk to you later—bye!”

 

As they exited the car, Elizaveta took Angie’s hand in hers. “I like it here.” She smiled as her eyes took in all the different storefronts.

“I do too.” Angie grinned, “There are a lot of good shops here—second hand and retro clothes, coffee shops and art galleries, and…” she dipped her head in the direction of a nightclub where a lot of teenagers and college aged men and women were going in, “…the Zon. It’s a local grunge/alternative rock club. They have live music on weekends and…” she shrugged her shoulders, ‘…it’s not a bad place—if you can stand the smell and the less said about the stains and all on the floor and in the bathrooms—the better.”

“I take it you don’t go there often.” Elizaveta quipped, her lips turned up in a rakish grin.

“Not often.” Angie laughed. “But every once in a while, I get in the mood.” 

“Well…” Elizaveta grinned, “Maybe we can go when Jane’s brother’s band plays.”

“Ok.” Angie nodded her head as the pair entered the café.

“Oh…” Elizaveta exclaimed as she clapped her hands together, “This place is great!”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed as she guided her date to a cozy booth close to where the band played, the upholstered bench seats arranged in an almost complete circle around a circular table. As the pair sat down close to each other, Angie whispered in her girlfriend’s ear, “Trust me to order?”

Nodding her head, “Elizaveta, grazing her leg against her date’s, smiled, “Yeah.”

As the waitress arrived, Angie placed their orders, “Two French roast coffees and the cinnamon coffee cake.”

“Oh…” Elizaveta interjected, “I’m Jake Morgendorffer’s daughter.”

“Well…” The waitress smiled, “I’ll let the boss know. I’ll have your coffee and cake in a few minutes. Would you like cream and sugar?”

“Please.” Angie answered back as the band began to play a slow, soulful blues tune. “Oh…I love this.” The lovely platinum-blonde said as she snuggled up to Elizaveta.

“Yeah…” The young Hungarian smiled as she gently caressed her girlfriend’s arm, “I like it too. So…” Elizaveta asked, “What got you into jazz and the blues?”

“My Aunt Ellie.” Angie replied. “Whenever I went to her house, she’d play Glenn Miller or Thelonius Monk or B. B. King or Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck, so I got into them too.” She chuckled, “Brittany and some of the other girls think I’ve got weird tastes in music, but…I like what I like.”

“I like it too.” Elizaveta said as she continued to caress Angie’s arm. “It makes me feel relaxed.”

“Coffee and cake’s here.” Angie smiled as the waitress had brought the two girls their coffee and cake. Angie, sipping her coffee, inquired, “Ummm…Elizaveta…do you remember anything about how people you were from reacted to people like us…you know…people of the same sex who date each other?”

“Hmmm…” Elizaveta thought for a few moments before answering, “If you’re asking me whether I think it’s wrong or not, I don’t get any feeling that us liking each other is bad, so I don’t think the people where I’m from had a problem. I mean… I knew when I was found that there were certain things that were wrong like killing or hurting someone unless you didn’t have any choice—like when you’re defending yourself. And I know you’re not supposed to steal and that lying is usually a bad thing to do—although sometimes you might have to so that you don’t hurt someone…but…I can’t think of anything wrong with us going out together just because we’re both girls.” Pausing for a moment to ponder, Elizaveta said in a quiet voice, “Something popped in my head just now, but I can’t remember where I heard it from before: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.”

“I like that.” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile. “I hope you find out where you come from, because it sounds like a nice place—I wouldn’t mind living there.” Smiling, she took Elizaveta’s hand and gently kissed her palm. I liked being with you as just a friend and I’m liking it even more now that we’ve started dating, and I want to continue being with you—if you can put up with me, that is!” She nervously chuckled, “You…make me feel good. I felt it when we kissed for the first time.” Sighing, she asked, "Do you mind if I talk to you about something…something important.”

“Not at all.” Elizaveta replied her face now showing her concern, “You can talk to me about anything.” 

Angie asked after she had taken a bite of her cake and washing it down with a sip of coffee as the band played yet another soulful tune, “You don’t remember when you found out that you liked girls, do you?

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head. “But…I think I also like guys…” She then remarked with a giggle, “But none of the boys here attract me and I happen to be attracted to a certain girl...”

Chuckling, Angie responded, “I am too—attracted to you, that is.” Taking a deep breath, she confessed, “While you’re probably bi, I’m strictly into girls, so I guess that makes me gay. I guess I found out a couple of years ago—when I was in the eighth grade.” Her lips then turned up in a winsome grin, “There was this girl in my English class. She had curly red hair. I couldn’t get her out of my mind…but I didn’t have the nerve to tell her. Just as well…” She shrugged her shoulders, “She had a crush on Joey…you know…one of Quinn’s followers.”

“So…you’ve never had a girlfriend?” Elizaveta asked.

“No.” Angie shook her head, “You’re my first real girlfriend.” Sighing, she admitted, “I’ve gone out on dates with guys—at first to be sure that I am what I am—but none of the boys I went out with interested me.” She giggled, “I was generally too busy checking out the waitress or some other guy’s date. Kinda like when we went out with Mark and Derek” She laughed gently, “We were too busy flirting with each to pay them any attention.” She then asked, “What about you? Do you have any memories of going out with another girl? What about that woman you told me about earlier—the one with the spotted tattoos? Do you think you might have been involved with her?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “The one thing I definitely picked up from that dream about her was that we were just friends—very good friends and very close friends—but still just friends. I didn’t and don’t feel anything for her like I feel for you. Now…” She confessed, ‘There might be someone I don’t remember yet. But I promise you…” the young blonde swore, “…that if I remember anything I’ll tell you. No secrets.”

“Fair enough.” Angie smiled, “So…I guess this is more or less the first time for both of us.” Her smile vanishing, she returned to her earlier subject, “Ok…picking up from where I left off…during my freshman year here, I joined the cheerleading squad and dance club. Well…” She shrugged her shoulders, “Lots of girls in both as you know…but I kinda thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to let them know that I’m gay—especially gay and unattached, so I’d go out on the occasional date—just so that they didn’t tumble on to the truth about me. It’s not that I’m ashamed of what I am…” Angie declared, “It’s just that I didn’t want to make any of them feel uncomfortable.”

“So…” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a shy smile, “You’ve never met anyone you’ve really liked…”

“Until I met you.” Angie blushed as the two girls enjoyed a brief time of companionable silence, gazing into each other’s eyes as they sipped their coffee and ate their cakes until an unwelcome voice dispelled their moment.

“Angie…Elizaveta…” Both girls reluctantly looking away from each other, turned their heads to see their English teacher, Mr. O’Neill standing by their table with a cup of coffee in his hand and a goofy grin on his face. “I see the two of you enjoy listening to the blues too. Don’t you find that the music speaks to the inner you, Angie?” He asked, just as if he were teaching his class as he sat down at the table with the girls.

As both girls cringed at this unwanted intrusion, Angie took a deep breath and exhaled, “Yes, Mr. O’Neill I like the blues.”

With that, the English teacher began to lecture the girls about how jazz and the blues permitted one to achieve self-actualization, totally clueless as to how the girls were feeling for several minutes that seemed like hours to Elizaveta and Angie until rescue arrived in the form of Ms. Defoe and her companion, a handsome man in his early thirties wearing a nice suit and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.

“Do you mind, Antonio?” Claire asked as she saw Mr. O’Neill talking with Elizaveta and Angie who obviously did not want him there with them. “I need to rescue a couple of young ladies who are out on their first date together.”

“But of course, caro mia.” Antonio replied with an Italian accent. “Anything for the cause of amore.”

“Thanks.” She kissed her escort on the cheek, “I’ll make it up to you later on tonight.” Taking a deep breath, Claire called out with a false grin plastered on her face, “Timothy! So good to see you here…you haven’t met Antonio yet, have you? Why don’t you join us?”

“Sure, Claire!” Mr. O’Neill answered as he got up and said his goodbyes to the girls, “You have a good evening, Elizaveta…Angie…and I’ll see you in class on Monday.”

As their unwanted guest walked away, Elizaveta and Angie both smiled in thanks to their fine arts teacher who responded with a smile and wink of her own. Sighing in relief as she snuggled up closer to her date, Elizaveta whispered, “I thought he’d never leave.’

“Yeah.” Angie whispered back as she kissed Elizaveta gently on the lips while the music played, “We need to do something nice for Ms. Defoe for coming to the rescue like that.”

“And her date.” Elizaveta grinned, “He’s stuck with Mr. O’Neill now too.”

“Yeah.” Angie chuckled, “That’s definitely love that goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

Thankfully, the two girls spent the rest of the evening undisturbed, just enjoying the fine music, good coffee, and each other’s company until finally they returned to the Morgendorffer house. Stopping the car in front of the house, Angie smiled warmly at her date. “I enjoyed tonight—even though Mr. O’Neill almost ruined it for us.”

“I did too.” Elizaveta replied with a smile of her own. “I wish it didn’t have to end.” She said as the two girls drew closer to each other.

“Me too.” Angie whispered as her lips met Elizaveta’s for a long, deep kiss. As they kissed, Jake and Helen looked on from the window.

“You think it’s all right to leave them there?” Jake asked.

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head, “They’re not going to do anything more than what they’re doing now. Let them have some time to themselves.” She smiled as she gestured towards the stairs, “Come on…let’s go to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some serious rewriting in that, at first, I had written Daria a bit too harshly. While, especially at this stage, she does miss social nuances and all too often they're colored by a degree of cynicism and even bitterness, she's generally not intentionally malicious--clueless at times, yes, especially again where social interactions are concerned--but usually not deliberately harmful to those who have not done anything to harm her. I also do think that she is clingy towards Jane--we've seen several times during the series where Jane will try something new that doesn't involve Daria and Daria does not react well.
> 
> While I am trying to stay reasonably close to canon, I am approaching the point where some divergence is going to have to take place if I'm going to be true to the characters I'm portraying. My primary goal is to stay as close as possible to canon Jane, Quinn, Daria, et al, but at the same time, I don't want to be so dogmatic that I show them as being little more than robots. My goal, when I do have to deviate from canon--and that will happen more and more--is to try to have the characters react, as much as possible, how I think the canon characters would react to the changing circumstances. I hope I succeed.


	9. A Q in the Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious visitor makes an appearance as Ms. Bennett's economics class, including Elizaveta and Angie, go to the Mall of the Millennium on a field trip.

“Look at this way, Elizaveta.” Angie grinned as the two girls boarded the school bus. “Yeah…we’re gonna be trapped in a bus for a few hours, but we’ll get to hang out at the mall and skip classes for the day.”

“It’s the trapped in the bus part that sucks though.” Elizaveta snarked back as the pair found a seat towards the rear of the bus, close to where Daria and Jane had already taken their seats, and with their friends Jodie and Mack occupying the seats on the other side of the aisle.

“I’m glad you and Daria patched things up.” Angie whispered in her girlfriend’s ear.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta whispered back, “I think she got the message after I made it clear to her that I’m not Quinn and I’m not going to play those games.”

Angie’s lips then turned up in a wicked grin, “I’m dying to find out what those special gifts are that we’re supposed to pick up at that shop in the mall. What’s its name?”

“Quainiallus’s Exotic Bangles, Baubles, and Charms.” Elizaveta read from the gift certificate that she and Angie both had received in the mail. “I think we’re the only ones at Lawndale that got them.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Angie replied, “It was probably just a random drawing. I bet a couple of girls from every high school in the county won them.”

“Probably.” Elizaveta agreed as Ms. Bennett called for everyone’s attention.

“And now we’re in for the ‘We’re going to do school work and not shop’ speech.’ Angie yawned as, just as she predicted, that was the exact speech that the economics teacher gave before the bus pulled out. “And now…” The platinum-blonde cheerleader sighed, “Kevin’s going to treat us with 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”

As if on cue, the dumb quarterback began to sing off-key, “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall…ninety-nine bottles of beer!”

Gritting her teeth, Elizaveta squeezed Angie’s hand as she pleaded in a loud voice, “Make it stop! Someone please make it stop!”

“He’s worse on the team bus.” Mack quipped, “Be thankful you girls travel with the band and not with us.”

“Brittany!” Angie called out, “Do something to shut your boyfriend up!”

Soon after, Kevin’s singing was replaced by grunts and groans. “Tell me they’ve still got their clothes on!” Elizaveta giggled and then held her nose, “Yech! What the hell is that smell?”

The Barbies then overheard Daria’s quip to Jane, “Smells like teen spirit.”

“Brittany’s perfume plus their body odors…” Angie grumbled as she held her nose.

“Equals a biological hazard.” Jodie finished through clenched teeth.

Elizaveta then called out as she noticed Daria turning green, “Robert! Open up some windows before it really starts to stink in here!”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The dumb, yet generally polite football player responded as he began cracking open windows following Upchuck’s vain attempt to open up a window.

Feeling the fresh air, Elizaveta sighed in relief, “Ahhh…that’s better.”

The bus ride to the mall was a miserable experience for everyone on it with the exceptions of Kevin and Brittany as Kevin, when resting in between make-out sessions, insisted on serenading everyone on the bus with Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall over and over again until, finally, mercifully, the bus pulled into the parking lot of the Mall of the Millennium.

As they got on the tram that would take them from the parking lot to the mall entrance, Ms. Bennett announced, “Everyone remember what time to meet and our parking area or you’ll miss the tram.”

“Kevin’s already forgotten.” Mack joked as he and the others overheard the quarterback talking to his girlfriend.

“Who cares.” Elizaveta grumbled, “At least he’s not singing anymore.”

“Could be worse…” Angie quipped, “It could be raining.”

“Optimist.” Elizaveta teased as she gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze.

“You know…” Angie whispered playfully in a low voice in Elizaveta’s ear, “It’s taking me everything I’ve got to keep from doing to you what Kevin did to Brittany on that bus. That perfume of yours is driving me crazy.”

“That’s why I got it.” Elizaveta teased back and then whispered, “Maybe we can lose everyone and find us a nice quiet spot.”

“Mission Number One.” Angie whispered back.

“If you two keep this up…” Jodie whispered with a twinkle in her eyes as she glanced at Kevin and Brittany, “You’re gonna put on a show of your own…”

As the tram came to a stop, the foursome then heard an unmistakable sound, “And Daria’s thrown up again.” Elizaveta sighed, “I told her not to have that breakfast burrito apa fixed this morning.”

Upon entering the mall, Ms. Bennett issued the class their assignments, dividing the work into groups of two. “Class, after our meeting with the mall management here are your assignments...” She then began to call out the assignments, “Angie and Elizaveta…your assignment is to report on how at least three different shops target their ads for consumers in order to maximize profit.”

“We should be able to knock our assignment off pretty easy just going to the shops we’re planning on going to.” Angie remarked as the pair walked together along with Jodie and Mack

“I think we should definitely investigate that lingerie shop.” Elizaveta proposed in a husky voice, referring to the Down Under Lingerie store by the entrance.

Also speaking in a sultry voice, Angie responded, “But Elizaveta, don’t you sleep in the nude?”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta replied coyly, “But sometimes a girl wants to wear something sexy for someone…right Jodie?”

“Right, Elizaveta.” Jodie answered back, giving Mack a playful wink. “Don’t you want to shop for lingerie with three lovely girls, Mack?”

“Ummmm…. uhhhh….” Mack stammered as the three girls laughed gently.

Finally reaching the mall office, Jodie sighed, “Might as well get this over with.”

Several minutes later as the teenagers emerged from the office with mall gift certificates courtesy of Jodie, Angie smiled at her dark-skinned friend, “Thanks Jodie—that was a good deal you pulled off.”

Sighing, Jodie replied, “Daria almost blew it for us. You know, I respect the fact that she has principles, it’s just that sometimes she’s too…”

“Inflexible.” Elizaveta finished, nodding her head. “She’s even worse at home.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “She’s the Immovable Object all right.” She then gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze, “Luckily, I’m with the Irresistible Force.”

“So…” Elizaveta said flirtatiously, “You’re saying I’m irresistible?”

“That you are, baby.” Angie chuckled and then, seeing that no one but Jodie and Mack were watching, gave Elizaveta a quick kiss on the lips. “See what I mean.”

“Ok, girls! You’re drifting into Brittany and Kevin territory here!” Mack and Jodie laughed at the other couple’s flirtations. “Meet you for lunch at the food court?”

“It’s a date.” Elizaveta grinned as this time, she gave Angie a kiss and a wink, “The Force made me do it.”

“Mmmm…” Angie purred, “I like the Force.”

 

“Well…” Angie sighed, “That’s the last of the assignments. I think we’re ready to write up our report and present it on Friday.” She grinned as she and Elizaveta both left Books by the Ton with a new book each. “I can’t wait to read this collection of Hugo winning stories.”

“Yeah, and I’m looking forward to reading A Brief History of Time. Hawking’s theories are just so intricate.” Elizaveta declared in an excited voice.

“Can I borrow that when you’re done?”

Turning about, the two blondes found themselves face to face with Daria and Jane. “Of course, Daria.” Elizaveta replied. “I think you’ll find it interesting too.”

“I get lost beyond circles, triangles, and squares.” Jane quipped.

“I’m not much better.” Angie sighed.

“Hey…” Jane teased, “At least you’re carrying a B average in math. I’m barely holding on to a C.”

“Only reason I’m doing it is because I’ve been studying with Elizaveta, Jodie, and Mack.” Angie replied. “Otherwise, I’d probably be in C-ville with you.”

“You know you’re welcome to study with us, Jane. You too, Daria.” Elizaveta declared, extending the invitation to her sibling as well as the artist who had become a friend to the two blondes.

“I might just take you up on that.” Jane declared as Daria mumbled something under her breath. “So…where are you two off to?”

“We’re going to cash in these gift certificates we got in the mail and then grab lunch with Jodie and Mack. You’re welcome to come with.” Angie replied.

“Thanks.” Jane smiled back, “But we’re headed into Books by the Ton ourselves—Daria’s wanting to pick up something from Kafka and I’m going to browse their art section. Then we’re off to cash in our certificates. But, if we meet you at lunch, we’ll join you, ok?”

“Sounds good.” Elizaveta smiled, “We’ll see you later.” Watching as her sister and Jane entered the bookstore, the blonde turned to her fellow cheerleader, “So…ready to check out that shop and cash in those certificates we got?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Angie agreed, “Come on, girlfriend.”

As the pair walked through the mall, they spied the various shops, entering those that caught their eyes. Spotting Stacy apparently shopping in a fabric store, the pair entered the store and confronted the young brunette, “Hey, Stacy…aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else…” Elizaveta smirked, “…like perhaps school?”

“Eep!” The neurotic freshman began to sweat, “I..we…oh…noooo…my mom and dad are gonna be sooooo mad!”

“Calm down, Stacy.” Angie interrupted in a soothing voice as Elizaveta gave the young freshman a gentle smile, “We’re not going to tell on you. But…why are you here?”

“I’m with the others in the Fashion Club.” Stacy explained, “We got a ride with one of the boys at school, the others are in Shoes N’ Style. I told them I had to go to the bathroom and that I’d join them. Please don’t tell Quinn and the others that you caught me in here!” She pleaded with tears in her eyes, “They’d kick me out of the Club if they ever found out.”

“Why?” Elizaveta inquired.

“Because this store’s not fashionable.” Stacy sobbed, “Please…”

“Why are you shopping here then?” Angie gently, yet firmly, pressed.

“I like sewing and making stuff like dresses and outfits and purses and pillows and quilts and things like that.” Stacy replied through her tears. “It’s a hobby of mine, but Sandi doesn’t approve.”

“Baszd Sandy!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “You enjoy it, so do it.”

“I can’t let her know!” Stacy pleaded. “If she does…I’ll be kicked out of the Fashion Club and won’t have any friends anymore.”

“That’s not true, Stacy.” Angie said in a soft voice. “We think you’re a cool person…a bit neurotic maybe…but a good person, and I’m sure Quinn’s your friend.”

“She is.” Elizaveta added, also using a soothing tone of voice.

Shaking her head, Stacy rebutted somberly, “She’s my friend, but she’ll do what Sandy tells her to do. She wants so bad to be popular—you see how she treats Daria—saying that she’s her cousin and all.”

Sighing and nodding her head, Elizaveta sadly agreed, “I hate to say it, but…you’re right.” Turning to her girlfriend, the young Hungarian pleaded, “Stacy’s right, drágám. Quinn will ditch her to keep her status. We’ve got to do this for Stacy.” Her lips turning up in a smile, she added, “After all, she’s stayed quiet about us.”

“You’re right, baby.” Angie affirmed as she smiled at Stacy. “We won’t say a word. But…we’d love to see your stuff sometime.” She then took out a piece of paper and pen and wrote. “Here’s my home number. Give me a call and we’ll set up a time where the three of us can get together and you can show us some of the things you’ve made at my house. I have a feeling my Mom would love to see what you’ve done too, and no one will know—ok?”

“Yeah!” Stacy agreed with a wide smile on her face as she took the paper and slipped it in her purse. “I’ll give you a call and…thanks!”

“Oh…” Elizaveta cautioned, “Daria and Jane, as well as Ms. Bennett and the rest of her class, are here too. We don’t care about those other two you hang out with, but you and Quinn watch yourselves and don’t get caught. We’re not going to tell on you.” She vowed as Angie nodded her head in agreement, “But if Daria catches you guys…she’s going to make you pay for her silence and if Ms. Bennett catches you…”

“Then you’re cooked.” Angie interjected.

“Thanks.” Stacy smiled back, “I’ll warn Quinn.”

“Oh…Stacy…” Angie added as an afterthought, “You know it’s ok to have friends who aren’t in the Fashion Club. Give me a call whenever you want.”

“Me too.” Elizaveta added with a smile. “We’d like to be your friends too.”

“Thank you!” The young brunette exclaimed with glee. “Thanks so much!”

Watching as the young teenager skipped away, Elizaveta shook her head, “She’s a nice girl. She deserves better than to hang out with those other losers—you know…the seggfej and the brain dead one.”

“And Quinn…” Angie prompted.

“Same thing with her.’ Elizaveta sighed. “She’s just like Daria in so many ways even though neither one will admit it.”

“I know it’s been rough sometimes for you being caught in the middle like you are.” Angie sympathized as the pair once again began to walk the mall.

“It’s not so bad.” Elizaveta replied with a sardonic grin, “They generally just leave me alone so long as I stay out of whatever fight they’re currently having and, I’m more than happy to do so.” Chuckling, she declared, “Alone, they’re usually ok. It’s when they’re together that you have problems.”

As the pair walked together, they spotted their destination, a small shop with a sign that read ‘Quainiallus’s Exotic Bangles, Baubles, and Charms.’ “This must be the place.” Angie said as she pointed at the shop. “Let’s go in and see what our certificates got us.”

“All right.” Elizaveta grinned as the pair entered the shop and were greeted by the store owner, a man who appeared in his late thirties to forties with brown hair and a receding hairline and alert and piercing eyes with a mischievous twinkle to them.

“Hello!” The store owner smiled, “Welcome to my shop.”

“We got these gift certificates, Mr. Quainiallus…” Elizaveta began only to be interrupted by the owner.

“Just call me Q.” He grinned, “My name’s difficult enough to pronounce.” He then took the gift certificates. “I’m so glad you came in, my dears. Come…I have a couple of surprises for you.” He then motioned for the girls to accompany him. “First…” He smiled as he gave each girl a bracelet made of a shiny golden metal encrusted with pink jewels and with their names engraved on them, handing the one engraved with Angie’s name to Elizaveta and the one with Elizaveta’s name to Angie. “These are for you. They’re supposed to possess a mystical quality…” He grinned, “As long as you wear them, you will each be able to find the other—no matter where…or when…” His eyes then fell on Elizaveta, “…you happen to be.”

“Where or when? Angie exclaimed, “What do you mean by that.”

“It’s just a silly superstition.” Q chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “After all…we do sell exotic goods.”

“They are very pretty.” Elizaveta smiled as she put on her bracelet. “And…” She grinned at her girlfriend as she gave her hand a squeeze, “I’ll always be reminded of you.”

“Yeah.” Angie smiled as she gave Elizaveta a kiss and then slipped her bracelet on. “And I you.”

“Young love…so sweet.” Q grinned and then reached behind the counter and took out two paintings. Each painting being of a what appeared to be a spaceship—both the same type—a saucer section connected to two cylindrical nacelles slung underneath and with a roll bar with what looked like a pod of some sort on the roll bar. The painting he gave to Angie bore the name, USS _Bellerophon_ NCC-76007 and the one to Elizaveta, USS _Sutherland_ NCC-72015.

As soon as they saw the paintings, images flashed through both Angie’s and Elizaveta’s minds and then…

_FLASH!_

An astonished Angie found herself in a luxuriously furnished apartment sitting in one of the most comfortable chairs she had ever sat in and holding a champagne flute filled with champagne. Elizaveta lay reclined on a divan, also with a champagne flute. Only, it seemed as if her girlfriend’s entire bearing had changed. While she always appeared confident and self-assured, after all, those were amongst the qualities that had drawn her to Elizaveta in the first place, now, she seemed even more so as she gazed into those lovely blue eyes. She then saw Q. Only now he was wearing what appeared to be a uniform of some sort. Black pants with a black jacket with grey shoulders and a red shirt with four pips on the collar. 

“Where are we?” Angie gasped as she tried to take in her surroundings. Then she heard Elizaveta speak, only, this time her voice seemed somewhat different.

“Q?”

“Liz, mon cheri.” Q grinned as he regarded his guests, “And your lovely companion.” He then addressed Angie. “My dear…welcome to this little pocket dimension I created.”

“Pocket dimension?” Angie whispered, her senses becoming overwhelmed. “This is like something I read in my science fiction novels.”

“Oh…” Q replied with a straight face, “It’s quite real, my dear.”

“It’s all right, Angie.” Elizaveta spoke in a calm, yet also commanding voice. “Q’s not going to do anything to hurt us.” She then raised her eyebrows to the omnipotent alien in silent inquiry.

“Of course not, my dears! I wouldn’t harm a hair on your pretty little heads! I’m here to…well…I’m here to give you two lovebirds a spot of encouragement and a little something that might come in handy later.” 

“The bracelets?” Liz guessed.

Nodding his head, Q replied with a rare apologetic look, “I’m afraid that’s the best I can do for you.” He then grinned as a champagne flute appeared in his hands. “But for now, have some champagne and relax. It’s Kristal…mon cheri…” He said as he smiled at Elizaveta, “Your favorite.”

Taking a sip of champagne, Liz smiled. “Thank you, Q.” Looking at Angie, she nodded her head. “It’s all right, Angie. And it is very good champagne.”

“Nothing but the best for one of my favorite Starfleet captains and her…special someone…” Q smirked.

Taking a tentative sip of the bubbly wine, Angie smiled, “This is good. But…I’m confused. You two know each other?”

“Our paths have crossed on a couple of occasions.” Liz replied with a rakish grin.

“Our darling did me a favor once and I returned the favor, and now I’m here to do you both a favor.” Q replied, adding, “At some point in the future, I will ask you both to do a favor for me.”

“Your memories…” Angie whispered.

“Are back…for now at least.” Her blonde girlfriend replied.

“Let me explain.” Q replied, further advising, “This is going to get very complicated, and you might think it unbelievable, but it is the truth. The question is…are you ready to hear it?”

Taking a deep breath, Angie took another sip of champagne and nodded her head, “Yeah. Go ahead.”

“Good girl.” Q remarked approvingly as he addressed Liz, “I can see why this shard of yours is attracted to this young woman. She’s obviously confused and scared…and yet…she’s more worried about you than herself.”

“Shard?” Angie gasped. “What do you mean about Elizaveta being a ‘shard’?”

Q explained as he dipped his head in Elizaveta’s direction. “First, let me introduce you to Captain Elizabeth Shelby. The young woman you know as Elizaveta Bathory is merely a fragment of our Liz…but…someone she could very well have been in her reality.”

Liz interjected, “My _nagyanya_ …grandmother’s…name is Aliz Bathory and after a fight with my father, I did come close to changing my last name from Shelby to Bathory and going with Elizaveta instead of Elizabeth and some of my friends do call me Elizaveta. I was so angry at my father that I didn’t want anything to do with the Shelby name, but my mother and brother begged me not to. So…Elizaveta Bathory is a name that could very well have been mine.”

“I’m still confused.” Angie whispered, “You say that the Elizaveta I know is just a piece of you?”

“In essence…” Liz nodded her head, “Yeah. Although I’ll admit to being confused as to why.”

Q grinned as he picked up the narrative, “This is where we get into the unbelievable portion of our story—at least unbelievable by your limited human standards. While Elizaveta is a shard of Liz, in this universe you’re from, just as in the other universes where Liz’s shards have appeared, she is very much a real person in her own right. Separate, yet part of a larger whole. She is Elizabeth Shelby…only what our Liz would have been had a few things been different in her life. You see, Liz in her universe commands a starship.”

“Another universe? Starship?”

“Remember when we went to Lawndale State last month?” Liz interjected as Angie nodded her head. “Remember when we talked about whether it might be possible to travel between different universes?

“Yeah…but didn’t you say that it would take a lot of energy and that it would be very dangerous.”

“Correct on both counts.” Q interrupted. “It would normally be all but impossible without certain…advanced technologies or other aids. But you see, this lovely young woman here…” He smiled as he gestured towards Liz, “Did a very brave and selfless thing. She sacrificed herself to stop a powerful being from destroying her universe and probably many others—including most likely yours. But in the process, her…I guess you could call it her soul or life force or essence—it’s that substance that makes us all who we are whether you’re merely a lowly human such as yourselves—no offense intended…”

“None taken.” Liz smiled as she sipped her champagne, motioning for Angie to do the same

“…or a cosmic being such as my wonderful self.” Q continued the narrative, “You were split into many shards all in their own universes.”

“This is…” Angie gasped, her heart racing.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, drágám.” Liz smiled, “But he’s telling the truth.” She then turned to Q, “But I don’t remember anything after I cut my hand and turned it so that the blood would drop on my nagyanya’s amulet and then threw it into that vortex.”

“And you won’t, mon cheri.” Q declared, “Not until the situation has been resolved one way or the other.” He further explained, “You unleashed forces that sucked you through the vortex and shattered you into different fragments. Your act of self-sacrifice…” the cosmic entity declared, his voice one of rare praise and gratitude, “…saved your grandmother’s and grandfather’s lives and is even now giving them and your friends the time that they need to save everything. Your grandmother, Aliz, is preparing to begin the process of reuniting your shards back together again with her own act of self-sacrifice. It will take time—by your standards in this ’Lawndale’ universe probably a few years, but in the universe where this is happening and where Liz comes from, it will take mere moments. I’d say, if I were human and such things mattered to me, that after both of your actions, the Bathory name will be completely rehabilitated. Now…” He further cautioned, “As to whether Aliz and your friends succeed or not is still very much in doubt, but you have made it possible for them to succeed. You should be proud of yourself—and of them as well, mon cheri.”

“What’s your role in this?” Liz asked as Angie quietly listened, trying to take everything in.

“Other than this little appearance here and these little gifts I’ve given you…” Q sighed, “…merely a spectator. What’s happening now is beyond even the Continuum’s ability to control or contain. Believe it or not…” He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, “The survival of everything depends on you humans and your allies. The salvation of the multiverse now rests on Aliz Bathory, Robert Wesley, and your friends on the _Sutherland_ , _Lexington_ , _Enterprise_ , and _Scipio_ in your 23rd century. Luckily for the multiverse…you have very good friends.” 

“Why are you telling us all this now?” Liz inquired.

“Partly…as I said, for encouragement.” Q replied with rare, genuine sympathy, “I just wanted you to know, mon cheri, that you’re not forgotten.”

“Q…” Liz’s lips turned up in a mischievous grin, “I didn’t know you cared.”

“Of course, I do, mon cheri.” Q responded with a chuckle. “You’re different from Jean Luc and the others…you’re…fun…and the multiverse would be a lonelier and more boring place without you…right, Angie?” He chuckled as Angie nodded her head. “But, I also came to give you those gifts.” Sighing, he spoke to both girls now, “I’m sorry, you won’t remember this conversation when I return you to that crass monstrosity you call a mall. I genuinely wish I could do more to help you, my dears…but…I can’t stay in this universe long and my abilities to do anything more than what I have already done are limited—believe it or not, even cosmic entities such as moi have limitations—although we don’t like to talk about it.” 

Q then addressed his next remarks to Liz, “This is a very important reality for you, mon cheri. You have been given a rare opportunity here that your other shards didn’t get—a chance to find something that you thought you had lost forever.” 

Smiling, the cosmic entity then spoke to other young woman in the room, “And you, my dear, will play a major part in helping our Liz in finding that something.”

He grinned, “It’s time for you to return to where you were…as I said, you won’t remember this conversation, but you will remember the bracelets. And I’m sorry, Liz, mon cheri, you will lose your memories again—but they will return in bits and pieces when it’s time for them to do so. Those bracelets are important.” He stressed, “They will guide you to each other wherever or whenever you are. You will also be able to keep the gifts you received, and you will remember that you got them from a little shop in the mall.” He then addressed his next remarks to Angie, “You will have a choice to make in the future, my dear—and it’s a big one. You will have to give up one thing of value or another. When it is time and if you choose the direction that I think you’re going to choose, the bracelet you’re wearing will guide you there. And now…time for you to go home!”

_FLASH!_

Angie and Elizaveta found themselves in the mall with absolutely no recollection of the pocket dimension or their encounter with Q. Their only memories being that they had visited a small shop and picked up the bracelets and paintings by cashing in their gift certificates. There was one memory both girls retained though—that the bracelets were special.

“Matching bracelets…” Angie grinned as she eyed hers and her girlfriend’s bracelets. “I guess that means we’re going to steady now.”

“I guess so.” Elizaveta smiled back, “I think I like that.”

“I do too.” Angie replied as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips. Then, hearing a grumbling coming from her stomach, Angie quipped, “Well…my stomach’s sending me a message too. Ready for lunch?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement as she heard a noise coming from her own stomach. “Jodie and Mack should be at the food court by now. Let’s go, I’m getting hungry too.”

Entering the food court, the pair immediately spotted their friends standing in line at the Tofu Fighters kiosk. “So…” Angie inquired, “Asian or lots of grease?” She asked as her eyes drifted to Fries and Things where Daria and Jane were standing in line.

“Asian.” Elizaveta immediately decided. Then, spying her younger sister along with her friends entering the court, the young blonde shook her head, “I thought we told Stacy to warn Quinn.”

“We did.” Angie affirmed.

“Then…” Elizaveta shook her head, “Anything that happens—it’s on them. We did our part.”

“Right.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader agreed. But then, they saw that Stacy had spotted them and was speaking urgently to Quinn and Sandy. As it appeared that the other two girls were ignoring her and pressing on towards Daria and Jane, the young brunette quickly broke off from the rest of her friends and made her way towards the two cheerleaders. As Stacy approached, Angie asked her, “What are you doing here?”

“It was Sandy. I passed on your warning to the others, but Sandy got Quinn to offer a makeover to Daria.” Shaking her head, Stacy remarked, “I can’t believe she didn’t recognize her own sister. I mean…that’s…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta interjected, adding as a rationalization, “Although I think it’s more a product of your other friend manipulating Quinn into either keeping with that stupid lie of Daria being her cousin or coming out with the truth and she’s too scared and proud to do that.”

“Because she’ll lose popularity points—whatever those are.” Angie shook her head and sighed.

“Quinn dug her own hole.” Elizaveta remarked as Angie nodded her head in agreement. The lovely blonde then smiled at Stacy, “But at least you had the sense to get the hell out.”

“But what am I going to do now?” Stacy pleaded as tears started to form in her eyes.

“First.” Elizaveta commanded, using a gentle, yet firm, voice, “You’re going to calm down.” She then pointed towards the other fashion divas, “Daria’s already caught them, and you can bet that she’s taking her pound of flesh from Quinn and your friends. You haven’t been caught.”

As she struggled to gain control over her emotions, Stacy began to hyperventilate.

“Easy, Stacy…” Angie soothed as Jodie and Mack came over with trays of food. “We’ve got you covered.” Getting their friends’ attention, the platinum-blonde gestured at a table concealed from where Daria and Jane were sitting. “Come with us.” She instructed as the two blondes shepherded the panicky young teen to the table. Pulling up an extra chair, she directed, “Sit down.”

As the young girl sat down at the table, she was joined by the two blondes. Addressing Jodie and Mack, Elizaveta explained the situation, “Our friend, Stacy, is in a little jam. She was skipping school with the other fashion divas and they got caught.”

“Stacy was smart enough to dodge the bullet.” Angie interjected.

“So…we need to find a way to get her back home without getting her into trouble.” Elizaveta proposed.

“Well…” Mack shook his head, “Coming back with us on the bus is a no-go. Ms. Bennett will recognize her immediately.”

“I’m thinking we could pool all of our money together and hire a cab.” Elizaveta suggested. “With all of us pitching in, we should be able to afford the fare. In any event, I’m not really looking forward to riding the bus back.”

“Amen to that.” Angie nodded her head in agreement.

“It’d still be pretty expensive.” Jodie demurred. “We might not be able to afford it—even if we all pitched in.”

Then, Stacy spied the young boy who had given her and the rest of the Fashion Club a ride to the mall in exchange for the privilege of hanging out with them and carrying their packages. “I think I can get us a ride!” She proclaimed excitedly. “He drove us to the mall. We should talk to that boy before he leaves. We might be able to get a ride back with him.”

“I don’t know about that.” Angie demurred, “He seems pretty pissed. What did you girls do to him?”

Shaking her head, Stacy replied truthfully, “We got him to take us to the mall by promising to let him hang out with us. Every time he tried to talk to us, Sandy and Quinn and even Tiffany put him down—telling him we were doing him a favor by letting him be seen with us and carrying our packages.”

“No wonder he’s mad.” Jodie let out a breath of air, “I don’t blame him for ditching you all.”

“He still might help.” Elizaveta pointed out, “He doesn’t know us and we’re not going to treat him like Sandy and Quinn did. But…” She suggested, “It might be better if Mack were the one to go up to him. Right now, he’s probably wary of being taken advantage of again.”

“Good idea.” Mack nodded his head as he got out of his seat and dashed towards the boy, catching him before he could exit the mall. Moments later, he returned with the boy. “Have a seat, Eddie.” Mack urged as he pulled out a chair from a nearby table. “Everyone’s cool here.”

“Hi Eddie.” Angie smiled at the younger teen. “Heard you got pissed off at the fashionistas.”

“Yeah.” The young man grumbled, giving Stacy a wary glance. “All they wanted me to do was carry their packages and stay quiet.” He then glared at the young brunette, “They treated me like a pack mule.” He then added threateningly, “I’m going to make sure the other boys at the school know what they’re getting into when they give those teases a ride.”

“Fair enough.” Jodie responded and then queried, “Are you sure all the girls treated you bad? Stacy didn’t say or do anything bad to you—did she?”

“No.” He shook his head. “If anything…” his gaze softened as he regarded the nervous young woman seated at the table, “…she tried to be nice to me, but the other girls…”

“Did they even offer to pay their part of the gas?” Angie inquired.

“No.” Eddie shook his head.

“Well…” Elizaveta grinned, “If you hang out with us for the rest of the day and drive us home, we’ll pitch in on gas and we won’t treat you like a pack mule.”

“Yeah.” Jodie smirked as she gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, “That’s what we’ve got Mack for.”

“Gee thanks!” Mack groaned as he returned his girlfriend’s kiss.

“So…” Elizaveta grinned, “First…lunch…and then…” She licked her lips as her eyes fell on the lingerie store, “Us girls are gonna shop for something sexy to wear and you boys get to watch.” Turning her attention to Stacy, the young blonde smiled warmly, “You get to join us, Stacy…like it or not, you’re with us Barbies now.”

After they had finished their lunch, the little group made their way to Down Under Lingerie. Entering the shop, Angie declared, “Girls…our mission is to find the sexiest outfits we can find. Boys…” She smirked at Mack and Eddie, “You mission is to watch us modeling those sexy outfits…”

“Think you two are up to it?” Elizaveta teased.

“We’ll manage.” Mack grinned as he turned to his fellow male, “You see, Eddie…there are perks that go with hanging out with pretty girls who are also smart and cool.”

“That outfit is…wow!” Angie exclaimed as she licked her lips lasciviously. She then whispered in her girlfriend’s ear, “You look so scrumptious I can eat you alive.”

“You’re looking pretty edible yourself.” Elizaveta whispered back as she kissed Angie on the lips. Then, turning to Jodie, she smiled, “Mack’s just going to love seeing you in that.”

“You think?” Jodie responded.

“I know.” Elizaveta smiled back.

“How do I look?” Stacy asked a she looked down at what she was wearing, her face reflecting her insecurity.

“You look perfect, Stacy.” Jodie replied, “Just the right mix of sexy and elegant without going overboard.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, “No offense, but what me and Elizaveta are wearing is a little too wild for you and you’re not quite ready yet for what Jodie’s got on.”

“So…” Elizaveta giggled, “Ready to show the guys?”

“Let’s do it, girls!” Angie exclaimed as she led the parade, wearing a short, gossamer thin, purple chemise with a matching wrap. “Like it boys?” She teased as she pirouetted before her audience.

“Oh yeah!” Eddie grinned as Mack clapped his hands.

“Next up…” Angie announced, “My girlfriend, Elizaveta!”

Elizaveta then strode out wearing a powder-blue baby doll nightie. “So, boys…” She grinned.

“Whoa!” Mack breathed, “Damn girl…you’re gonna get this place raided.”

“What he said.” Eddie agreed, adding with a grin, “Too bad you and Angie are playing for the other team. You’d have all the boys in Lawndale chasing after you in those outfits.”

Mack then cautioned Eddie, “You understand, friend, we’re keeping Angie and Elizaveta’s relationship quiet for now. They’ll come out to everyone when they’re ready.”

“I get you, Mack.” Eddie nodded his head, “Not a word.”

Next out was Jodie wearing a black lace full length gown that revealed tantalizing tidbits of flesh without going too far.

“Wow, Jodie!” Mack gasped in appreciation. “Tell me you’re getting that.”

“Ok, Stacy…” Elizaveta gently prodded, “You’re on.”

“You’re gonna wow ‘em.” Jodie declared in an effort to build up the insecure girl’s self-confidence.

“Yeah…Eddie’s gonna drool when he sees you in that.” Angie said with a wicked grin, “You should go for him before some other girl stakes a claim on him—he’s a cutie.” Laughing at Stacy and Jodie’s reactions, Angie joked, “Hey, I’m gay, not blind.”

“All right…” Stacy took a deep breath, “Here goes nothing!”

Stacy then walked out on stage wearing a cream chemise that was stylish and sexy without being revealing. “So…” She held her breath as she awaited the boys’ reactions.

“You’re…you’re beautiful, Stacy.” Eddie declared in a low voice.

“Looking good, Stacy.” Mack exclaimed, adding his praises, “You look perfect in that.”

Her lips turned up in a sunny smile, Stacy cheered, “Thank you…Thank you…Thank you!”

“See Stacy…” Elizaveta smiled as the young brunette joined the other girls in the fitting room area, “You’ve hooked him…”

“Now you’ve gotta reel him in.” Jodie smirked and then cautioned, “But don’t treat him like Quinn and the rest of your friends treat their dates. If it doesn’t work between the two of you—it doesn’t work, but don’t treat him like trash.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “This one might be a keeper, but if you’ve got to let him down, let him down easy. Don’t just go out with him once and then dump him so that you can put him on your fashionista score card.”

“I won’t.” Stacy vowed, ‘I mean it. No more scorekeeping.”

“Good.” Elizaveta nodded her head approvingly, “And if Sandy or Quinn give you any grief you come to us and we’ll set them straight.”

“Right.” Jodie agreed. “Remember we’re your friends too and that means that we’ve got your back.”

“Now, girls…” Angie grinned, “Let’s get changed and get back to the boys.”

Returning to the boys, the girls basked in their praise as they paid for the lingerie they had just modeled for them. “Guess we need to get back home now.” Elizaveta sighed as the tiny group departed the mall.

“My car’s over here.” Eddie declared as he guided everyone to his convertible. “Just enough room for everyone and their packages.”

“Thanks!” Jodie said, speaking for the group. “We really appreciate it. I don’t think any of us were looking forward to the bus ride home.”

“Yeah…” Mack sighed, “I think I can live without Kevin singing 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall at least until our next away game.”

“Not to mention having to smell Kevin and Brittany making out.” Angie joked as she crinkled her nose.

“Or Upchuck being Upchuck.” Elizaveta grumbled.

“Or listening to Sandy and Quinn each trying to one-up the other.” Stacy moaned.

“Tell me about it.” Eddie remarked as he drove the car out of the parking lot and on to the road, “And having to lug all those packages for those stuck up little snobs…” He then turned to Stacy and smiled, “…present company excepted, of course.”

First to be dropped off was Mack and then Jodie. As Eddie drove up to the front of the Morgendorffer home, Elizaveta got out and kissed Angie on the lips, “See you tomorrow, szereto.”

“Tomorrow, baby.” Angie sighed as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss.

Pulling up in front of Angie’s house, the lovely platinum-blonde, before exiting the car, thanked Eddie and then winked at the couple, “See you guys at school tomorrow—have fun.”

Finally, as Eddie pulled up at the Rowe residence, he turned to the young brunette seated next to him, “Ummm…Stacy…would you like to go out with me this Saturday? We could go to a movie and then pizza after?”

Smiling, Stacy replied as she got out of the car, “I’d love to.”

As he pulled away from the Rowe house, Eddie’s lips turned up in a grin. The day had started off good as he thought he was going to hang out with three pretty girls, quickly turned sour when he realized they were merely using him for transport and as a pack mule, then turned better again when he met new friends and discovered that one of those girls wasn’t so bad after all. All in all, a good day.

 

“Hey, honey!” Mrs. Harmon smiled as her daughter entered the house. “Did you have a good time at the mall?”

“Yeah.” Angie grinned, “Me and Elizaveta completed our assignment and went to that little shop to cash in our certificates.” She then showed her mother the bracelet.

“That is pretty.” Jessica exclaimed, “And the owner just gave it to you?”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “He also gave me and Elizaveta these paintings.” She then showed her mother the painting of the starship with USS _Bellerophon_ written on it.

“That’s…interesting.” Jessica observed, “It’s very detailed. But I wonder what’s the significance of the name _Bellerophon_?”

“I don’t know.” Angie shook her head, “But…” She smiled, “…I think I like the name. I’m going to hang it on my wall if that’s ok with you.”

“Sure, darling.” Jessica replied and then asked, “So…you hungry?”

“Famished!” Angie grinned as she climbed up the stairs, “I’ll be down in a bit.”

 

“Hey, Kiddo!” Jake grinned as Elizaveta came in the front door with her packages. “You beat Daria and Quinn home.”

“Got a ride back with a friend along with Angie and Jodie and Mack.” Elizaveta replied, deliberately leaving Stacy’s name out as she sighed in relief once she saw both Jake and Helen visibly relax when they were sure that their ward wasn’t alone in the car with a strange boy. “I think he’s interested in Stacy.” She added with a crooked grin.

“Stacy?” Helen raised her eyebrows, “Isn’t she one of Quinn’s friends?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied. “He seems like a nice guy though and Stacy’s not so bad for a fashion diva.”

Jake then queried, “So…what sort of assignment did you have to do?”

“It was actually pretty interesting.” Elizaveta answered back, “Ms. Bennett had us looking at how different stores targeted their advertisements for particular groups like women or teens or men…”

“That was a good assignment.” Jake agreed approvingly as Helen also nodded her head in agreement. “That’s one of the things that I’ve got to do in my job. So, did you learn anything from it?”

“Yes, we did.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she explained what she and Angie had picked up from completing their assignment. “So…we’re going to write it up and present it to the class on Friday.”

“Very good.” Helen praised and then smiled as she saw the packages. “I see that you made some time for shopping.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back. “We turned in those certificates we got in the mail and the store owner gave me and Angie these bracelets…” She then showed her guardians her bracelet.

“That is pretty.” Helen gasped, “And he just gave it to you?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head and then chuckled, “He said that as long as me and Angie wear these bracelets we’ll be able to find each other no matter where we are.”

“That’s…” Helen sighed, “…that’s so romantic.”

Her lips turning up in a warm smile, Elizaveta agreed. “Yeah. I guess that means we’re going steady now. He also gave us these paintings.” She then showed her guardians the painting that she had received.

“That’s…” Jake remarked, “…unusual…”

“And very detailed.” Helen remarked, “You’d almost think it was real.” And then she read the name, “USS _Sutherland_.”

On hearing that name, images flashed in Elizaveta’s mind. A man with seal brown hair and piercing blue eyes that carried himself with a patrician bearing, a bald-headed woman with a sunny smile, a roguishly handsome dark-haired man, a dusky skinned woman, an elderly man with pointed ears, an attractive woman with Asian features, and a woman with close cropped blonde hair, a tattoo, and ridges on her nose. As soon as they appeared, they were gone.

“Are you all right, dear?” Helen inquired in a soft voice.

“I’m all right, Anya.” Elizaveta smiled, “Just tired…it’s been a long day.” She then sighed, “Especially after being on the bus with Kevin and Brittany.”

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head in understanding, “That would try the patience of anyone.”

“If it’s all right with you, I think I’d like to go to bed early after I hang up the painting and put away my stuff.”

“Of course, kiddo.” Jake smiled. “You have a good night and get some rest.”

As she put up the painting, Elizaveta couldn’t help but sigh. Although she didn’t understand why, for some reason, that name, _Sutherland_ , was very important to her as were those people who had briefly flashed through her mind. Sighing again as she stripped off her clothing and slipped into bed, she prayed that even though she didn’t understand now, one day she would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting into some Star Trek: Sutherland, Star Trek: Lexington, and Star Trek: Perseus elements in this part. If you're interested, you can find these stories posted on both the Trek BBS and at www.unitedtrek.org
> 
> The favor that Liz does for Q is covered in an upcoming story called "HIde and Q" and the favor that Q does for Liz is covered by a story on the drawing board called "Beach Blanket BingQ"--a take off on the beach party movies of the 1960s.


	10. Of Friends and Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of the Amazon Modeling Agency and Romanica trigger sequences of events that lead to some relationships growing stronger while one relationship crumbles and a new one rises from the ashes of the broken relationship. Friendships and relationships grow, die, and are tested in this pivotal chapter.

“Another day at Lawndale High.” Angie gasped as she gave her girlfriend seated next to her in the car a kiss.

“Wonder what we’re in for today.” Elizaveta smirked as she returned her girlfriend’s kiss before opening the passenger side’s car door. 

“Whatever it is, it’s not going to be good.” Angie answered back.

“Well…” Elizaveta sighed, “We better get moving or we’re going to be late.”

“Yeah.” Angie grinned as both girls picked up their bookbags before locking and closing the car doors. “Ready for _Walden Pond_.”

“Thoreau-ly.” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Ouch!” Angie cried out as the pair walked together from the parking lot towards the school. “For that, you’re buying pizza after school.”

“Ok…” Elizaveta conceded with a rakish grin, “But…we’re going to have to change our bet for today.”

“What have you got in mind?” Angie replied with a twinkle in her eye.

“Loser gives the winner a back massage.” Elizaveta proposed.

“You’re on.” Angie agreed as the pair shook hands. Then, seeing Eddie and Stacy walking together, she called out, “Hey guys! Walk with us?”

“Sure.” The freshman couple agreed as they joined the two blondes. 

“Have fun on your date?” Elizaveta asked with a mischievous grin.

“Yeah.” Both freshmen replied in unison, Stacy giggling while Eddie blushed. “I didn’t think the movie would be as good as I thought it was going to be.” He confessed.

“Thought it was going to be just another chick-flick, huh?” Angie gently teased.

“Yeah.” Eddie confessed, “I didn’t think it would be as funny as it was.” He then inquired, “So…how was your date?”

“It was fun.” Elizaveta grinned as Angie gently caressed her arm. “We spent the day at the zoo and then after…”

“Just the two of us walking in the park and catching the sunset.” Angie sighed. “Too bad the weather’s going to start turning cold soon.”

“Well…” Stacy smiled, “I should be done with the comforters I’m making by then.”

“You’re making comforters?” Elizaveta smiled. “When can we see them.”

“Soon.” Stacy answered back with a coy grin, “I want them to be a surprise.” She then spied the other Fashion Club members, “Sorry…” She groaned, “I’ve got to check in with the others. I’ll see you guys later!” Kissing Eddie, she whispered in his ear, “Thanks for being so understanding. I know you don’t like them, but they are my friends.”

“It’s all right, Stace.” Eddie answered back with a concerned look on his face, “Just don’t let Sandi and Quinn run all over you. Don’t be afraid to tell them where to go if they get too bossy.”

As his girlfriend walked away, the brown-haired teenager shook his head, “I just wish she could see those three for who they are.” Glancing at Elizaveta, he apologized, “I’m sorry, I know Quinn’s your sister, but…”

“I understand.” Elizaveta replied in a soft voice and then sighed, “At home, she’s not so bad if I catch her alone without Daria or anya in the room, and she genuinely does like Stacy. It’s just that…” she shook her head, “…she’s so caught up in being popular that she’s willing to do almost anything—even turn on or away from real friends and family.”

“Thing is…” Angie said as they entered the main doors of the school, “Sooner or later, Stacy’s going to have to choose them or the people who really care for her.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader then heard a voice from the back of her mind, “ _You will have a choice to make in the future, my dear—and it’s a big one. You will have to give up one thing of value or another_.” She then shook her head sadly, “And I’m not sure which way she’s going to go.”

“So…” Eddie pleaded with a hang-dog expression on his face, “…what can I do?”

Giving the teenage boy a sympathetic look, Elizaveta replied in as gentle a voice as she could, “There’s not much more you can do that you’re not already doing Eddie. Stacy’s just going to have to figure this out on her own. Just know that we’re your friends no matter what happens.”

Watching as their friend made his way to his class and then turning their gaze on the Fashion Club, the two blondes shook their heads. “This isn’t going to end well.” Angie sighed.

“I’m afraid you’re right.” Elizaveta agreed in somber voice.

“Well…” Angie sighed as she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand, “We better get to class.”

 

“Score one for Brittany.” Elizaveta whispered as the head cheerleader, in answering Mr. O’Neill’s question, mistook _On Golden Pond_ for _Walden Pond_ , “That means I get to feel your magic fingers on my bare back.”

“Hmmm…” Angie whispered back, “I’d call that win-win.” Then, as Ms. Li entered the classroom, she murmured, “I wonder what brought the Dragon out of her lair.”

The answer wasn’t long in coming as the principal announced that representatives from a New York modeling agency were coming to the school to scout for talent and that a professional modeling contract would be on the line, immediately drawing an enthusiastic reaction from Brittany who exclaimed that they had gotten a letter that she had sent.

“I’ve got a feeling that Ashley-Amber was the one who put the idea of modeling in Britt’s head.” Angie muttered in a low voice that only her girlfriend could hear.

“Probably.” Elizaveta agreed as Daria then launched a logical offensive against modeling and then forced Ms. Li to confess to the reason the modeling agency was invited to the school. “Way to go, Sis.” The young blonde grinned as she gave a sly thumb up to her sibling who, on seeing the gesture, responded with a smirk of her own.

“And so, we get to the truth…” Angie whispered, not even hiding her contempt for the Asian principal in her voice, “Bulletproof skylights for the swim pool when we need that damned ceiling in the library fixed.”

 

“Hey, Jodie!” Elizaveta called out as she and Angie spotted their African-American friend walking down the hallway. “Over here!” 

Approaching the Barbies who were standing in front of their lockers, Jodie managed a slight grin, “Hey.”

“What’s up, Jodie?” Angie probed, “We didn’t see you or Mack at lunch. Something wrong?”

“No.” Jodie shook her head, “Mack got called in for a team meeting and the student council meeting ran late, so I had just enough time to grab some crackers and fruit juice and dash into the cafeteria and then have a run in with Daria.”

“Oh?” Elizaveta raised her eyebrows.

Shaking her head, Jodie sighed, “It’s the usual…it’s all just black and white with her. She doesn’t understand that…”

“The world doesn’t operate that way.” Angie nodded her head, “It’s almost always shades of grey.”

“The problem is…” Jodie reluctantly conceded, “…that Daria brought up an important point. Where do we draw the line at inviting organizations like that modeling agency to come here to recruit students?”

“Well…” Elizaveta rebutted, “Wouldn’t that also rule out job fairs or career expos where businesses come on campus to recruit interns and offer part-time and summer jobs?”

“Hmmm…” Jodie considered her answer, “Good point. I think that the big difference is that job fairs and career expos are one or at most two-day events and involve several businesses, charities, and government agencies, and the school isn’t endorsing any of them and it’s not receiving money directly from them—rental for space and all generally goes to the school board.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “The money’s not going into Li’s Cayman Island accounts or into more security junk so that she could turn this joint into her version of Stalag 17.”

“More like Stalag 13…” Elizaveta quipped, “With her as Colonel Klink.”

“So that would mean Ms. Bennett is…”

“Sergeant Schultz” All three girls called out in unison and then shouted, “I see nothing…I hear nothing…I know…NOTHING!”

“Jolly jokers…” Jane quipped as she and Daria joined the three girls.

“I guess that means that Ms. Barch is Major Hochstetter.” Daria snarked, and then her gaze turning to Jodie, apologized, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

“You had a point, Daria.” Jodie smiled warmly, “We were just discussing it. So…” She inquired, bringing the other two girls into the conversation, “Where do we draw the line between organizations like Amazon Models and other businesses, government agencies, and charities where it concerns recruiting students?”

Giving careful thought to her answer, Daria replied, “Well…I think it does depend partly on the type of business. Like the lap-dancers analogy I used, would you want to see a T&A bar recruiting dancers here?”

“Of course not.” Angie replied, “But what about modeling and talent agencies? While some are fronts for prostitution or porn…” She conceded, “Most are legitimate businesses.”

“Fair point.” Daria nodded her head and then offered as a response, “I think it’s the school and school board’s responsibility to ensure that the businesses coming here for job fairs or career expos or anything like that are legitimate. Also, they have an obligation to make sure we know that the odds of succeeding as a top model or entertainer are slim at best and what people going into that line of work are getting themselves into.”

“In other words…fairness and accuracy in advertising.” Elizaveta interjected as Daria nodded her head.

“Also…” Jane added, “Someone other than Ms. Li needs to be in charge of the money.”

‘That’s a given.” Angie quipped as the bell rang, “Well…time to see what pretty pictures Ms. Bennett’s drawn on the blackboard this time.”

 

As Ms. Bennett was drawing yet even more incomprehensible patterns on the blackboard and lecturing the class about how the fashion industry utilized marketplace psychology, her class was interrupted by a platinum-blond haired man with a goatee and wearing a tight-fitting halter top and tight pants with angular framed glasses and a dark haired woman who obviously had plastic surgery done on at least her overly made up face and wearing a black low-cut dress with a lavender coat and silver linked chain around her waist.

“I can’t tell where the woman begins and the plastic ends.” Elizaveta quipped in a low voice.

“That’s because they’re both plastic.” Jane riposted.

“It’s the attack of the Autons.” Angie jibed.

“Never a TARDIS around when you need one.” Daria deadpanned.

Observing the facial expressions and body language of the two fashion intruders as Brittany modeled for them, Angie shook her head, “Poor Brittany…she wants so much to be like Ashley-Amber. I miss the old Brittany that I knew in elementary and middle school.” She mourned as Elizaveta reached over and gave her girlfriend’s hand a quick squeeze.

Momentarily startled at hearing her name being called out and then being asked if she’d considered modeling, Jane smirked as she showed them the drawing she just completed of the two looking like circling vultures.

Then, Romanica turned her sights on Elizaveta and Angie. “Such pretty blonde hair and graceful bodies. You two would be naturals.”

“No thank you.” The Barbies answered back in unison with Elizaveta adding in Magyar, “Baszd meg!” and Angie chiming in with “Nyasgem!”

“That’s telling them.” Daria quipped only now to find herself the target. It didn’t take long though for Romanica and her henchman to realize they picked the wrong mark though as Daria quickly beat them down, calling them scam artists, and then smirked triumphantly as they left the classroom.

 

“Perhaps we’ll have better luck in the next class.” Romanica said as she and Claude made their way to Mr. O’Neill’s freshman English class. Entering the classroom, the talent agent’s lips turned up in a smirk as she spied the cluster of young teens seated towards the rear of the classroom, all dressed in the latest of fashions and looking through copies of _Waif_ and _Val_ magazines. Pointing at the grouping, she whispered to her companion, “Over there…the one with red hair…she’ll do. The others too.” Then, spying a pudgy red-haired girl seated on the opposite side, she instructed, “I want her too as a decoy.”

After the bell had rung signaling the end of class, the Fashion Club met for their afterschool meeting. “It has been moved and seconded.” Sandi Griffin, the president, declared in an authoritative voice, “We will all take the complimentary modeling course. Anyone opposed?”

Wilting under the combination of Sandi’s glare and Quinn’s assertive look, Stacy meekly went along with the others as Sandi nodded her head, “The motion is passed. We will take the course. Now to the next order of business…” Sandi fixed Stacy in her gaze, “It has come to our attention that Stacy has been on three consecutive dates with the same boy. This is unacceptable. Our rule is no more than two consecutive dates with at least four dates between dating the same boy again.” Her lips then curled up in a sneer, “You’re not going…steady…with that boy…are you, Stacy?”

Her courage flagging under the accusatory glares of her fellow Fashion Club members, Stacy squeaked in a meek voice, “No, Sandi.”

“That’s great!” Quinn smiled supportively at her friend, “I’ve got a date lined up with Skylar tomorrow night. He was planning on taking me to Chez Pierre. I can ask him to bring Brad Phillips along and we can double date. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great.” Stacy replied with fake enthusiasm as she noticed Sandi and Tiffany’s wary glances. “I look forward to it.”

As she walked away from the meeting, she greeted Eddie waiting for her by the school doors. “Ready to go home?” He asked with a smile.

“Yeah.” Stacy replied with a phony smile. 

“You know there’s a carnival in town…” Eddie exclaimed, “I was thinking we could go to it tomorrow evening—maybe try our luck at some of the games…ride the rides…eat some cotton candy…”

Sighing, Stacy shook her head, “I’d like to, but I can’t. I’ve got to meet up with Quinn about some stuff.”

“That’s ok.” Eddie nodded his head, “Maybe next time.”

“Yeah.” Stacy replied and then dropped her next bomb shell. “Ummm…would you be mad if I told you that I’m taking that free modeling course?”

Closing his eyes and then slowly opening them, Eddie took several moments to gather his thoughts before replying, “I can’t tell you to take the course or not, Stacy. I wish you wouldn’t, but like I said, that’s not my choice to make. But…” he pleaded, “…whatever choice you make do it because it’s what you want to do…not what I or Quinn and Sandi want you to do.” 

 

As Daria related what happened in Ms. Bennett’s class at the dinner table, she noticed that her mother and father were both paying careful attention to her words for once. 

“You feel really strong about this, don’t you, Daria?” Helen asked.

“Yeah.” The auburn-haired teenager replied, “Why?”

“Because you’re talking to us, dear.” Helen flatly responded and then inquired of Elizaveta, “What do you think, sweetie?”

“I agree with Daria.” Elizaveta responded, “While if someone wants to go into modeling, that’s their right, they should be made aware of what’s involved in that life and what could happen to them. I also don’t think those two con művész—con artists—have any business at our school.”

“I’m glad you both feel strongly about that.” Helen grinned approvingly at her natural daughter and her ward, “It shows a great deal of maturity on both of your parts. These people feed off of the hopes and dreams of gullible young people. I feel sorry for them and their parents.”

Just then, Quinn entered the dinning room and loudly exclaimed, “Mom! Dad! I got accepted into an exclusive modeling class!”

“Baszd.” Elizaveta muttered in a low voice as Quinn and Helen argued over the young red-head taking that course and whether she fully understood what went into being a model with Quinn refusing to budge an inch.

“It’s not my hips or my boobs!” Quinn cried, “Claude said they’re both perfect!”

“Who the hell is Claude!” Jake stormed, “I’ll kill him if he’s a him!”

“Calm down, Jake.” Helen urged, “You’re not killing anyone.”

“It’s ok, apa.” Elizaveta smirked, “I don’t think we have to worry about Claude messing with Quinn or any other girl...if you catch my meaning.”

“Oh…” Jake sat back down again, now noticeably calmer as he picked up on what Elizaveta was saying, “That’s ok, then.”

Answering the phone after Quinn petulantly refused to answer it, Daria answered in a phony accent, mocking Romanica, “And I’m Daria Morgendorffer.” After a moment, she then said into the phone, “Hold on,” as she held the phone out for her mother.

“It’s that witch from the modeling agency.” Daria whispered to her blonde sister.

After a brief conversation in which both Daria and Elizaveta were barely repressing their snickers at how Helen was deliberately calling Romanica ‘Monica,’ Helen exclaimed, “What a strange woman.”

“You’ve just got to let me take that class!” Quinn begged, “You said I could be anything I wanted to be!”

“May I become Queen of Brazil?” Daria quipped.

“And may I become Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire?” Elizaveta also jibed, earning her a smile from her auburn-haired sister.

“All right…” Helen reluctantly conceded, “You can attend the open class—but that’s it. Nothing further!”

“Yes!” Quinn exulted as she skipped triumphantly up the stairs.

“Now…” Helen sighed, “What do I have to do to convince the two of you to go to that class and keep an eye on her?”

“No more talk of redecorating my room for a whole year.” Daria declared.

“Extend my curfew by an hour.” Elizaveta offered.

“Thirty minutes.” Helen counteroffered.

“Forty-five.” Elizaveta responded.

“Agreed to both demands.” Helen nodded her head, indicating that the issue was settled.

“Not bad, Elizaveta…” Helen grinned and then quipped, “But you’re getting softer, Daria.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Daria responded, “I was thinking about going anyway.” Her lips then turned up in a smirk, “I sense the possibility for the total humiliation of Quinn.”

Sighing, Helen turned to her blonde daughter, “What about you, Elizaveta?”

“Me and Angie were thinking about going.” She then confessed in a soft voice, “We’re worried about a friend of ours.”

“Well…” Helen offered her ward a supportive smile, “I hope everything works out for your friend.”

A couple of hours later, Elizaveta was lounging on her bed talking to Angie when she heard a knock on her door. “Just a second, szereto.” Elizaveta said to her girlfriend as she called out, “Come in!”

“Elizaveta.” 

Recognizing Daria at the door with a couple of books in her hand, Elizaveta smiled at her sister. “Come in, Daria. Have a seat. I’m speaking with Angie right now, but we’re about done.”

“Ok, szereto, I’m back. What was it we were talking about? Alessandro’s tomorrow? I’d love to. I’ve got my curfew extended by forty-five minutes too. Great. More snuggle time. I’ll see you then. Bye, drágám.” Then turning to Daria, the young blonde asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“First.” Daria’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “Good negotiating on your part with Mom. I was thinking you’d only get a half hour.”

“I would have if I’d have started with an hour and a half.” Elizaveta responded, “And I wouldn’t have gotten anything if I’d have gone any higher.”

“True.” Daria nodded her head. “Second, I wanted to return your book and thought you might like to read this. I liked Hawking’s theories. You’re right they are very elegant.” She said as she handed both the Hawking book that she had borrowed from Elizaveta and Lee Smolin’s _Three Roads to Quantum Gravity_. I thought you might find this one interesting.”

“Thanks!” Elizaveta smiled, “I was hoping to read that book sometime and I’m glad you enjoyed reading Hawking. Maybe we talk about both of the books once I get done with this one?”

“I’d like that.” Daria replied, and then added, “And thank you for backing me about the modeling thing.”

“You’re right about it, Daria.” Elizaveta replied, “While I wouldn’t have any problems with a legitimate modeling or talent agency recruiting talent—provided they’re honest about what they’re offering and go about doing it the right way, those two are just crooks.”

“Yeah.” The auburn-haired girl nodded her head and then added in a supportive, for Daria, voice, “I hope everything works out with your friend.”

Her head turning in the direction of Quinn’s room, Elizaveta sighed, “I do too, but…”

“I understand. No one could say you and Angie didn’t try though. That’s more than most people do.” Daria nodded her head. “Well…good night, Sis.”

“Good night, Sis.” Elizaveta smiled back as Daria left the room.

 

“I’m looking forward to Alessandro’s tonight.” Elizaveta smiled as she and Angie stood in front of their lockers waiting for the homeroom bell to ring.

“Yeah.” Angie grinned, “No live music tonight, but they’re playing a good selection of twenties and thirties era jazz and swing. “I might even teach you how to do the Charleston if you’re game.”

“Ok!” Elizaveta exclaimed enthusiastically, “Let’s do it.” 

Both girls then spotted Eddie walking down the hallway, his head down and walking with a shuffling gait.  
.  
“Shit.” Angie swore under her breath, “I hate it when I’m right.” She then raised her voice and called the young teenager over, “Hey, Eddie! Over here.” Once their friend had reached them, the platinum-blonde cheerleader asked, “What happened?”

“It’s nothing.” Eddie shook his head.

“We’re your friends, Eddie.” Elizaveta said in a supportive, yet persistent manner, “You can tell us.”

Closing his eyes shut tight and then opening them as he sighed, the young man confessed, “I found out from Corey that Brad Phillips is taking Stacy to Chez Pierre tonight with Skylar and Quinn. That’s why she turned me down when I asked her if she wanted to go to the carnival with me tonight.”

“That little kurva…” Elizaveta shook her head, “I was afraid of that. That she wouldn’t be able to stand up to those hags.”

“Did she tell you why she’s going out with Brad?” Angie asked.

“No.” Eddie shook his head, “She wouldn’t talk to me when I tried to ask her. Instead, she ran right to Quinn and the rest of that mob.” He sighed mournfully, “And I was going to ask her to go steady.”

“Dammit.” Elizaveta cursed. “We warned her not to pull that shit!”

“And she went on ahead and did it anyway.” Angie growled through clenched teeth. “Well…let’s be sure before we do anything.” She took a deep breath and then exhaled as her eyes scanned the hallway, “If you want to know the gossip around here…only one person to see.” She then took a deep breath and asked, “Hey…if I have to spill the beans on us—is it ok with you, Elizaveta?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Go ahead. I figure most people already have an idea we’re dating anyway.”

“Thanks.” Angie smiled back as she once again scanned the hallway. Then, spotting her target, she said, “Bear with me a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Walking over to the blonde girl, Angie smiled, “Hey, Tori?”

“Angie.” Tori smiled back, “Hey…is it true that you and Elizaveta are dating each other? Off the record…” She lowered her voice, “A lot of the girls are hoping you are—it’ll take you both out of the competition for the boys and won’t really affect your popularity status. After that dance you two did and your cheerleading, you’re both pretty high on the charts.” 

“I will neither confirm nor deny that rumor at this time.” Angie smirked, “So…what did you hear about Stacy and Eddie’s breakup?”

“Stacy had to break up with him because Sandi called her out for violating the Fashion Club bylaws. It was either break off with him or be expelled from the club.” Tori reported.

“I see…” Angie nodded her head, “Did she put up a fight?”

“Oh no!” Tori exclaimed, “That would have gotten her expelled from the Fashion Club and instantly killed her popularity. If she’d have done that, she’d be down there with Quinn’s ‘cousin’…” She then lowered her voice to barely above a whisper, “…although we all know she’s her sister…” Raising her voice to a normal level, she continued her report, “…and that art girl. Instead, her popularity’s going up now because Quinn got Skylar to set her up with Brad Phillips to be her date and they’re double dating at Chez Pierre tonight.”

“Thank you, Tori.” Angie grinned, “I know I can always count on you for the latest news.”

“Glad to help.” The blonde smiled and then flashing a knowing grin, said, “That’s a pretty bracelet. Mind if I look at it?”

“Not at all.” Angie smiled back as she showed Tori the bracelet, noting how Tori’s eyebrows rose when she saw Elizaveta’s name engraved on it. “Like it?”

“Yeah.” Tori smiled back, “And thank you.”

“I have a feeling it was about to come out anyway, Tori.” Angie grinned, “Me and Elizaveta figured you ought to know first.”

“Thanks.” Tori smiled back, “I owe you both one.”

Returning to her locker where Elizaveta and Eddie were quietly talking with each other, Angie scowled, “Tori confirmed it. Sandi and Quinn made her choose between the Fashion Club and Eddie and she caved.” She then gave Elizaveta an apologetic look, “I’m sorry, baby, but I had to come clean about us going together.”

“That’s all right, szereto.” Elizaveta responded with a smile, “I was getting tired of hiding it anyway. So…what do we do about Stacy and the other fashion snots?”

“I’ve got an idea where we can teach Stacy and Quinn, at least, a little lesson…” Angie said with an evil grin on her face. She then turned to her girlfriend, “You wouldn’t mind a slight change in our plans for this evening, would you, baby?”

“Not at all.” Elizaveta replied with a confused look on her face.

“Trust me, lover?” Angie grinned.

“Always.” Elizaveta smiled back.

“Great. I’ll be back in a moment.” Angie then went to where Jane and Daria were talking. After several minutes of animated conversation, she came back with a big grin on her face. “Good news. Jane said she’d go get Jeannette and bring her here. Just hang loose for a bit.”

“What have you got planned in that devious head of yours, szereto?” Elizaveta inquired with a rakish smile.

“A little surprise.” Angie teased as Jane approached with a freshman girl wearing a tie-dyed top, tattered blue jeans, and with mauve tinted sandy blonde hair.

“Barbies…Eddie…this is Jeannette, a promising up and coming artiste and all round cool girl. Jeannette…” Jane smiled, “These are the people I’ve been telling you about.”

“Hello.” The young girl greeted the other, more popular, teenagers in a soft voice, “I saw your dance at the coffeehouse.” She smiled, “You were very good.”

“Thank you.” Elizaveta smiled back, “We hear you’re a good artist too.”

The young girl shrugged her shoulders, “Not really. I just like to draw and stuff.” She then focused her attention on Angie, “Jane told me what you’re planning. Normally, I wouldn’t even think about doing something like this.” She then glared at the Fashion Club, “But I can’t stand those obnoxious little snots. So…I’m in.”

“This isn’t about revenge…” Angie declared, then seeing the doubting looks on everyone’s faces, she amended, “…well…not completely about revenge. Someone has to understand that choices have consequences and that she can’t treat someone like dirt and get away with it. Also…” She said, a smile coming to her lips, “I’m hoping that you and Eddie do hit it off. He’s a nice guy, Jeannette. Give him a chance…that’s all I’m asking.”

“Fair enough.” Jeannette nodded her head as she turned her attention to the young man standing across from her, “I haven’t heard anything bad about you, Eddie. So…I guess one date’s not going to hurt. As for anything more…let’s wait and see how this one goes first.” Her lips then turned up in a smirk, “Besides…how often am I going to get a chance to eat at Chez Pierre for free.”

“You do realize…” Jane cautioned the Barbies, “That if you go through with this, you’re pretty much going to out yourselves—are you ready for that?”

“We’ve been going out with each other for a couple months now, we’re always together and often holding hands, and we haven’t gone out with any boys at all since Derek and Mark—people are already drawing conclusions.” Angie responded. “I think Nikki was going to flat out ask me, but it looked like she changed her mind at the last minute. Instead she muttered something along the lines of she didn’t care so long as we didn’t stare at her in the shower…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “It’s already something of an open secret and the bracelets we’re wearing pretty much give it away. We might as well make it official and be done with it.”

“All righty then!” Jane exclaimed, adding supportively, “You know Daria and I have your backs. But I don’t think most people are going to give you much of a hassle here. You might get a few snide comments or lewd jokes from the morons—but that’s about it. I don’t expect anything negative from the teachers. What about your squad mates on the cheerleader squad and your fellow dancers? She asked solicitously.

“I think most of them are like Nikki, they’ve already figured it out.” Angie replied. “They can see we haven’t been dating any guys.”

“They’re probably glad we are.” Elizaveta grinned, “Means less competition for them.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “And Ms. Morris won’t say or do anything as long as we keep it discreet and keep up with our cheers.” She then frowned, “The only teacher I’m worried about is…”

“Mr. O’Neill.” Jane nodded her head, “He’ll want to make it a teachable moment. Me and Daria will try to distract him and maybe we can get a lucky break from Kevin and Brittany, but…”

“We’re probably going to have to suck it up anyway.” Elizaveta concluded as Jane placed one hand on her shoulder and another on Angie’s.

“Buckle up, young Barbies! You can withstand any New Age platitudes and aphorisms thrown at you.” She then smiled, ‘Well, I’ve gotta go now and fill my amiga in on what’s about to go down. You guys have fun tonight.”

“Meet at my house at seven tonight?” Elizaveta asked.

“We’ll be there.” Angie, Eddie, and Jeannette agreed. 

“I can pick you and Jeannette up, Angie, and then all drive over to Elizaveta’s together and pick her up, if that’s ok with you girls.”

“That’s ok.” Jeannette nodded her head.

“Works for me.” Angie grinned as the bell rang, “We’ll see you guys later!”

 

“Well…another session of man-bashing 101 with Ms. Barch.” Elizaveta sighed as she and Angie gathered their books to exit the classroom only to see Brittany sobbing at her desk. 

Approaching their fellow cheerleader, Angie asked in a soft voice, “Hey Britt…what’s wrong?”

“They…” The blonde cheerleader whimpered, “They…said I didn’t qualify for the modeling class! But I tried so hard! I did everything Ashley-Amber told me I should do!”

Sitting down on either side of their distraught friend, Elizaveta and Angie both draped their arms around the disconsolate Brittany’s shoulders, “I know you did, Brittany.” Angie cooed in a soft voice, “And I know this was very important for you. You can’t blame yourself. They’re going for a different look—that’s all.”

“A different look?” Brittany looked up and twirled a lock of her golden hair, “What do you mean?”

“You see, Brittany, you, me and Angie carry a bit too much on top and are more athletic than what they’re looking for.” Elizaveta said in a gentle voice.

Seeing the confused look on her friend’s face, Angie explained, “All three of us have got killer boobs, hips to die for, and we’re all in good shape because of all the cheerleading and other physical activities that we do. Those scam artists aren’t looking for that. They want girls like them…” She then pointed at the Fashion Club that was just walking past the door on their way out.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Little twigs that break if you touch one of them and that munch down on celery and carrot sticks all day instead of eating real food like pizza.”

“Really?” Brittany asked as the beginnings of a smile began forming on her face.

“Really.” Angie smiled back, “Now…why don’t you go and hunt Kevin down and make him buy you some pizza.”

“Ok!” A more cheerful Brittany responded, “Why don’t you two join us?”

“We can’t.” Angie replied, “We’re double dating tonight.”

“Oh, ok!” Brittany smiled as she got up out of her seat, “You two have fun on your date.”

“We will, Britt.” Elizaveta and Angie both replied and then Angie added, “You have fun too and don’t sweat those scam artists. You’re a pretty girl and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Watching as Brittany walked out of the classroom, the bounce to her step returning, Elizaveta flashed a grin, “Well…our work here is done.”

“Yeah.” Angie replied with a frown, “At least until tomorrow.” She then explained, “Once that class begins tomorrow, she’ll be down again. She lives in the moment. She’s been that way ever since I’ve known her.” The platinum-blonde sighed, “But it’s gotten worse recently.”

“Ashley-Amber?”

“In part.” Angie nodded her head, “But I think there’s some other stuff going on too.” 

 

Two convertibles, their tops up, one blue and the other red, pulled up to the Morgendorffer house almost simultaneously. The one in blue consisted of two boys, one driving and the other in the back seat with his date, Stacy, wearing a properly fashionable, according to _Waif_ , miniskirt and top with flats. The driver, Skylar Feldman, a brown-haired boy with expensive clothes, got out of the car and began to make his way to the front door just as the rear door of the red convertible opened.

Eddie sat behind the wheel of the red convertible with this date, Jeanette, in the passenger seat. Jeanette, instead of her usual jeans and t-shirt, tonight wore a maroon sleeveless midi-dress that flattered without being overstated along with high heels and a gold necklace and earrings. Getting out of the car from her seat in the rear, Angie, wearing a white lace pencil dress along with a gold necklace and her bracelet, along with earrings, looked stunning as she joined Skylar in walking towards the Morgendorffer house.

“What are you doing here, Angie?” Skylar asked in a frosty voice, having been once abruptly turned down for a date by the cheerleader.

“Picking up my date.” Angie responded coolly. “And you?”

“Same thing.” Skylar remarked and then raised an eyebrow. “Quinn never mentioned having a brother.”

“She doesn’t.” Angie grinned, muttering in a low voice, “Penny in the air…” as she rang the doorbell and Jake answered. 

“Hi Angie!” He smiled, and then his gaze turning to the young boy standing next to Elizaveta’s girlfriend, the smile quickly vanished to be replaced by a glare, “And you are…”

“Skylar. Skylar Feldman.” The teenage boy gulped, “I’m here to pick up Quinn.”

Recognizing at once the look on Jake’s face, Angie smoothly interjected, “It’s all right Mr. Morgendorffer.” She then lowered her voice to a whisper so that only Jake could hear, “Elizaveta and I are going to Chez Pierre too on our date. We’ll make sure Quinn’s ok.”

“All righty, then!” A noticeably more mollified Jake responded and then called out in a loud voice, “Elizaveta! Quinn! Your dates are here!”

Smirking at the look of astonishment on the face of the boy standing next to her, Angie quipped in a low voice, “And the penny drops.”

Elizaveta smirked as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. For tonight’s date, she chose a blue denim strapless and sleeved midi-dress. For this occasion, she also broke out the stiletto heels and her silver afghanite necklace along with her bracelet and silver earrings. After applying the finishing touches to her makeup, she grabbed her purse just in time to hear Jake’s call. “Coming, Apa!” She called back as she closed her bedroom door behind her just in time to see Daria and Quinn both coming out of their rooms.

The red-head, wearing a pink top and red miniskirt and flats that was the current recommended choice for teen girls by _Waif_ magazine, cringed inwardly as she took in the sight of her much more elegantly dressed blonde sibling.

“That’s a nice outfit.” Quinn complimented grudgingly.

“Your dress is cute too.” Elizaveta complimented back, her voice matching the condescending smile on her face.

Watching with amusement the byplay between her siblings, Daria’s lips turned up in a sly grin as Quinn made her way down the stairs. 

Coming to the door almost simultaneously, Quinn greeted her date with a perky, “Hi Skylar!” while Elizaveta greeted Angie with a kiss on the lips and a sultry, “Hi, szereto.”

“Hey, baby.” Angie replied in an equally husky voice as she returned her girlfriend’s kiss and took her hand, “Ready?”

“Let’s go.” Elizaveta smiled back as the two blondes walked hand in hand to the red convertible while Skylar and a visibly irked Quinn walked behind.

“Are those two…” Skylar began only to be abruptly cut off by his date.

“Yes, they are. Now let’s get going.”

Watching from her window as the couples got into their respective vehicles and drove off, Daria dialed Jane’s number. As her friend answered, Daria announced, “Let the games begin.”

“I want a full debriefing afterwards.” Jane quipped back.

 

Arriving at the fancy restaurant at almost the same time, Elizaveta and her group deliberately held back a bit, allowing Quinn and the other party to go ahead. Waiting until they were safely out of earshot, Elizaveta whispered to the girls, “Remember…we don’t say or do anything…we just walk right by them like they’re not even there. We’re here to have a good time with each other—not to get into any catfights. We show them we’ve got claws—but we don’t use them.” 

“Right.’ Angie nodded her head in agreement, “The best way to show Quinn and Stacy that they can’t treat people like dirt is to show them that, and the best way to do that is for you to have a good time and enjoy yourselves.”

“Exactly.” Elizaveta concurred, “And Eddie and Jeannette, you’re also telling Quinn, Stacy, and the rest of the fashion snots that they can’t control who people can go out with and who they can’t.”

“Added to that, we get the pleasure of watching the looks on their faces when they see that they’ve been outclassed by all of us fashion-wise.” Angie smirked.

“Ready, everyone?” Elizaveta grinned on seeing Eddie and Jeannette nod their heads along with Angie. “All right…let’s go forth and have fun.”

Joining the line behind Skylar and the others, they, along with the other couple, waited their turn until they stood before maître-d’. “Reservations?” The man, speaking with a faux French accent, inquired in a snobbish manner.

“Feldman, party of four.” Skylar responded in an arrogant voice.

“Harmon, party of four.” Angie answered back soon afterwards making sure that her voice was cordial and polite.

Checking his list, the man nodded his head. “Very good. Follow me.” He then escorted the teens to their tables, each within sight and hearing of the other. As they passed Stacy and Quinn, Jeannette, Angie, and Elizaveta all maintained straight faces as they saw the two fashionistas, both of whom had taut lips as they took in the elegant appearance of Eddie’s date and the two blondes.

While Skylar made a point of holding her seat out for Quinn, Brad just sat down, not even offering to assist his date. At the other table, Eddie smoothly held out the seats for all three of the ladies accompanying him and then took his seat. “Thank you, Eddie.” Angie grinned as she was the last girl to be seated. Then, lowering her voice to a whisper, she remarked, “Did you see the steam coming out of Stacy’s and Quinn’s ears?”

“Yeah.” Jeannette whispered. “Wish I brought my sketch pad with me.” She giggled, “I’m glad I’ve got a good memory.”

“That’s why we do our shopping in the women’s section at Cashmans instead of Junior 5 like they do.” Angie recommended, “They have a better and classier selection of clothes there.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “And Mrs. Harmon knows what looks good for any occasion.”

As the waiter came for their drink and dinner orders, Elizaveta ordered, “Ariel Brut…non-alcoholic, please for our appetizers.”

“Excellent choice, Mademoiselle.” The waiter responded approvingly,” And for dinner?” 

“What do you recommend?” Elizaveta asked.

“Definitely the coq au vin.” The waiter promptly replied, “Our chef makes it the traditional way with Burgundy. It is quite delicious.”

Seeing everyone else at the table nodding their heads in agreement, Elizaveta smiled, “The coq au vin sounds great. We’ll all have that. And…Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon non-alcoholic red.” Sighing, she apologized, “I’m afraid that’s the best red we can get that’s non-alcoholic.”

“Nothing to apologize for, Mademoiselle.” The waiter responded in an even more polite voice, “You are quite knowledgeable. Whoever has instructed in you in wines and fine cuisine should be commended. Perhaps…once you have come of age…you might want to peruse our most excellent selection of wines and spirits. I think you will be very pleased. I will return shortly with your appetizers and champagne.” 

“How did you figure out what to order?” A curious Eddie asked.

“Anya recommended that I go with the waiter’s recommendation on what to order for dinner, and I did a quick online search for info on non-alcoholic wines.” Elizaveta replied with a grin. Their gaze then turned to the other table where Skylar and the others had settled for sparkling water to go along with their salads and plain breadsticks when his and Brad’s phony ids failed to pass the waiter’s scrutiny. “And that’s why we played it straight where the alcohol was concerned.” 

Smiling as their waiter brought them the champagne as well as ample portions of salads, baguettes, and other appetizer dishes that were most definitely not brought to the other teen table, Angie gratefully sipped the sparkling non-alcoholic wine after it had been poured. “This is very good.” She exclaimed as the waiter smoothly went about making sure that everyone at the table had full glasses and plates before discreetly withdrawing. “Try some of the tapenade noir a la figue on a baguette.” She suggested as she smeared a bit of the spread on one of the baguettes and bit into it. “Mmmm…” 

“I kinda like the French fries.” Eddie chuckled, deliberately not using the French name. pommes pont neuf. “Too bad there’s no ketchup.” He joked.

“Don’t say that too loud!’ Elizaveta cautioned with an amused grin, “That’s a dirty word here.” She then suggested, “Why don’t you and Jeannette try some of the shrimp and herb canapes.”

“Those are good!” Jeannette exclaimed as she bit into the crepe and washed it down with the sparkling wine.

“Yeah!” Eddie agreed and then, challenged, “All right…who’s going to be the first to join me eating the escargot?”

“You’re on.” Jeannette said, accepting the challenge with a twinkle in her eyes as she speared one of the snails on her fork. “Let’s see who can eat the most.”

At the other table, Quinn huffed, “Why are they drinking champagne and eating all those appetizers and we’re not?”

“I don’t know.” Skylar responded with a shrug, “I’ll ask the waiter when he comes back.”

As she watched her former boyfriend increasingly enjoying the company of the art girl he was now with, Stacy felt a pang of regret as she suddenly realized that she could have been the one at that table with Eddie instead of that…girl had she have stood up to Sandi. _But if I did that…_ she consoled herself… _I wouldn’t have Quinn or any of the others as my friends anymore and I wouldn’t be popular_.

Back at the waiter’s station, the waiter who had Skylar’s table shook his head at his fellow waiter who was serving Elizaveta and her companions. “Why do you get the good ones while I get stuck with that cheapskate Feldman, his boor of a friend, and their ditzy dates?”

“I don’t know.” The other waiter smiled, “Bad luck I guess.”

“Well…I’m not going to be in a big hurry to get back to those brats.” The first waiter declared, “Feldman’s a lousy tipper, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Well…” The second waiter grinned as he got the signal that the order for his table was ready, “I better get back to mine. I’ve got a feeling that guy and those girls are going to be good tippers. The blonde with a Hungarian accent by the way…she knows her wines and had the smarts to not try to pull a fast one on me like that Feldman brat always does. She’s staying strictly with the non-alcoholic stuff.”

“Yeah.” The first waiter chuckled, “Too bad she’s taken by the other blonde.” He then nodded his head once in the direction of Angie and Elizaveta who were at that moment playing footsie under the table. 

“Oh well…” The second waiter laughed as he balanced the tray with his table’s orders, “C’est la vie!”

“Your orders!” The waiter proclaimed with a smile as he professionally and smoothly bussed Elizaveta’s table, removing the uneaten appetizers and replacing them with their dinner plates. Then, he poured the non-alcoholic red wine into the appropriate wine glasses after first offering a glass for Elizaveta to taste.

As she tasted the wine, the young blonde smiled appreciatively, “This is very good. Could you please tell the person responsible for your wine selection that they did excellent work? I have a feeling that it’s not easy to find good non-alcoholic wines.”

“I’ll be sure to do so, Mademoiselle.” The waiter beamed. “Unless there’s anything else I can help you with, I’ll let you all enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you.” Angie grinned as she bit into her coq au vin and gushed with pleasure, “Oh…this is so good! I’m glad you ordered this, baby.”

As they ate, the conversation drifted to a variety of topics until it came to science fiction. “So, you’re saying Elizaveta…” Jeannette queried, “…that a real warp drive like what Harry Harrison uses in his _Stainless-Steel Rat_ books is possible?”

“Yeah.” The blonde Hungarian responded. “In theory.” She qualified, “The major problem is that you need to find a way to contain the matter and anti-matter so that you can control the reaction. If you can do that, then that should give you the energy for faster than light travel.”

“That’ a big hurdle though.” Eddie remarked. “It would take some advanced engineering and technology to pull that off.”

“Oh…” Elizaveta nodded her head, “We’re way off from being able to do that—at least a couple of centuries barring a lucky break, of course.”

“What about hyperspace and hyperdrives like Poul Anderson used in a lot of his novels or like they have in Star Wars?” Angie inquired.

“Hyperdrives and jump drives are also theoretically possible.” Elizaveta replied, “There are a lot of different theories. Basically, what you’re doing is shunting yourself into another dimension and then reemerging at another point in real space. Generally, it’s not an arbitrary point to another arbitrary point. Often, it’s more like traveling on the interstate. You get on the road and take it to your off ramp.”

“That would also mean that you’d need to be very sure about your calculations and mapping.” Eddie commented.

“Exactly.” Elizaveta exclaimed, “Otherwise you might end up in the middle of a star or something like that.”

“And then there are worm holes and starbursts like they have on Farscape.” Angie pointed out.

“True.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “But with wormholes, the risk is the intense gravitational and other forces that could rip a spacecraft apart. Also, there’s the question over whether the wormhole is stable or not. If it’s not stable, then there’s no guarantee where—or when—you’ll come out.”

At the other table, Brad shook his head, “What they hell are they talking about over there? Warp drive…hyperspace…wormholes…”

“Geek stuff.” Skylar sniffed derisively. “Beats me how those two brains got as popular as they are.”

“Well…” Brad replied, “They’re good looking…blonde…cheerleaders…”

“Dykes.” Skyler sneered only to feel a sharp pain coming from his shin where his date had just kicked him.

“That’s my sister and her girlfriend.” Quinn scowled under her breath so that only he could hear. “I might be pissed at them right now…but don’t you dare call her or Angie that name again and let me hear about it or I’ll make sure the only dates you get are with the unpopular girls.” She then put on a cheery face, “Now…what were we talking about? Oh, yeah…the right tops to go with different cars. What do you think, Stacy? Blue crop top with a white Lexus?”

Back at Elizaveta’s table, the talk drifted back to the different teachers with Ms. Defoe being unanimously declared the best teacher amongst the girls.

“She’s so helpful and supportive of my art.” Jeannette exclaimed, “I liked her critique on my last work. She was right…I was trying too hard to get my message through. Once I relaxed and let my pencils do my talking for me, it all fell into place. She’s also been really helpful with my tie-dye projects.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “She’s a great dance teacher and choreographer too.”

“She also saved us from Mr. O’Neill while we were on our first date.” Elizaveta grinned and then recounted the story of the girls’ unwelcome encounter with their English teacher and their quick rescue by Ms. Defoe and her Italian date. “She came just in time to prevent both of us from committing murder.” 

“I’m sure.” Eddie laughed, “Well…I haven’t had any of her courses yet. I mostly take geography and science courses which means having to deal with Ms. Barch in science.” He shuddered as both Angie and Elizaveta gave him sympathetic glances and Jeannette patted him on the back of his hand. “Yeah…not fun. But…I like Mr. March for geography. He’s pretty cool and has been encouraging me to go on to study climatology when I graduate.”

The conversation then drifted to other topics as they finished dinner. The waiter, seeing that they were ready for dessert, approached the table and smoothly bussed it. “And will you be having dessert this evening?”

“Yes, I think we will.” Elizaveta smiled, “What would you suggest?”

“I’d heartily recommend our floating island. It, with a good dark roast coffee, would be the perfect end to your meal.”

Seeing everyone else nodding their heads in agreement, Elizaveta grinned, “All right. We’ll have that.”

“Excellent, Mademoiselle. Your desserts and coffee will be out shortly.”

Soon after, the waiter returned with the desserts and coffee and again, after expertly clearing the dinner plates and glasses, he replaced them with the desserts and coffee cups that he filled with coffee and then left the carafe of coffee along with one of cream and a bowl of sugar cubes at the table.

“Oh…this is so good!” Angie gasped, “This evening is worth every penny of my allowance money this month. I haven’t eaten this good in a long time!”

“Tell me about it.” Jeannette grinned, “You know…I really didn’t expect to have a good time tonight…I wasn’t sure about you two.” She honestly declared, “But…you’re all right.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta smiled back, “And thanks for coming with us.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded his head, “I’ve had a lot of fun with you.”

Smirking, Jeannette quipped, “You’re not so bad yourself. So…what are we doing after dinner/”

“How’s about going to the park to do some stargazing?” Angie proposed. “It’s pretty and not at all cold out…might as well enjoy it while we can.”

“Sound like a good idea.” Jeannette agreed and then asked her date, “Sound good to you?”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded his head.

“All right, then.” Elizaveta grinned as the waiter brought the check. Taking out the platinum card that Jake had let her use for the evening, she handed it to the waiter who promptly returned with the card and paper for her to sign. After first leaving a 25% tip and signing the bill, she and the others stood up and walked out just ahead of Skylar and his group.

Returning to his table after his guests had departed, Elizaveta’s waiter smiled as he looked down on the amount of his tip. Returning to the wait station, he called the other waiters over. “Those blonde girls…next time they come in…be sure they get good tables and excellent service—she just gave me a 25% tip and they were all very nice and polite.”

Scowling, the waiter from Skylar’s table sneered, “That cheap brat didn’t even leave me 10%. Next time we stick him next to the kitchen.”

 

“Pretty night isn’t it, baby?” Angie smiled as she walked arm-in-arm down the park path with her girlfriend.

Looking up into the starry moonless night, Elizaveta felt a twinge in her heart. Smiling back at her love, she replied, “Yeah. Don’t you wish that you could go out there…to the stars…to see what’s there?”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head. “I wish I could just go in a spaceship and go from star to star to see everything.”

“I know.” Elizaveta sighed, “Maybe one day…”

The two girls stopped and faced each other as Angie whispered in Elizaveta’s ear. “I’d go anywhere so long as I knew you were there too.” 

Under the starry sky, the two girls kissed, their kiss lingering and gentle as a shooting star passed over their heads.

The other couple, finding a park bench to sit on, quietly sat and talked together. “I had a good time tonight.” Eddie smiled as he looked into the eyes of his date. “I’m glad Elizaveta and Angie talked us into going with them tonight.”

“I am too.” Jennette replied and then tentatively probed, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but what happened with you and Stacy—really?”

“Pretty much as you heard.” Eddie answered back in a sad voice, “We had three dates together and I thought things were going good and was about to ask her to go steady with me, and then she pulled the rug out from under me without even talking to me about it first.”

“Yeah.” Jeannette nodded her head sympathetically. “That’s why I don’t like the fashion snots. They play games with peoples’ feelings without thinking or caring about who they’re hurting.” She then declared, “But I don’t want to be just a girl you’re dating because you’re on the rebound. If we go out together—it’s because you want to be with me. I don’t want you moping about or wishing you were still with Stacy. So…until you get that worked out…if you want to go out with me, then we’ll go out as friends. Once you get everything settled in your mind and in your heart…” her lips turned up in a smile, “…then we can talk about something more.”

“I can live with that.” Eddie grinned, “So…how about a nice friendly evening at the carnival tomorrow night?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Skylar dropped Stacy back home after the disastrous evening at Chez Pierre. The young brunette slumped into her home, thankful that both of her parents were sound asleep. Making her way up the stairs, she entered her room and, locking the door, found the comforter that she had just finished making and had so wanted to show off to everyone. Falling to her knees, she clutched the comforter close as she sobbed. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

 

As Elizaveta and Angie walked towards their lockers the morning after their night out at Chez Pierre, they walked hand in hand, openly acknowledging the nature of their relationship to anyone looking. As they paused by their lockers, they heard a friendly greeting.

“Hey.” 

Turning about they immediately recognized the blonde unofficial gossip and popularity status monitor for the school. “Hey, Tori.” Elizaveta smiled, “What’s the latest?”

“You two and Eddie and Jeannette are the talk of the school right now.” She reported. “Like I told you yesterday, your popularity hasn’t slipped because of your relationship. If anything, it’s gone up some because the girls who are either bi-curious, don’t care, or are happy that you’re off the market outnumber the ones who are homophobic. As for the boys…well…I’m sure you can imagine what they’re thinking…”

“Yeah…” Angie quipped, “Can I watch? Hur…hur…hur…”

“Exactly.” Tori chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. “Also, being seen at Chez Pierre and outclassing Stacy and Quinn with your outfits really boosted your popularity—and Jeannette’s and Eddie’s too.” Eddie was already fairly popular. He’s gone up to popular now after being seen with the two of you. As for Jeannette…let her know that she’s moved up from not popular to somewhat popular and that she’s nearing the fairly popular level. Offer her my congrats on her new status. It’s not easy making the jump from not popular to somewhat popular. Besides being seen with you and Eddie, her fashion sense scored her some points too—a lot of people—myself included—were surprised by that. Her dress was a good choice. Tell her she should start to see some party invitations coming her way soon.”

“Thanks, Tori. We know we can rely on you to keep us up to date.” Elizaveta replied, “Anything else we should know?”

“That pretty much covers it for now.” Tori reported, “The special modeling class should make for some interesting gossip later though. I take it you two are going to be watching that seeing as you’re not in the course—potentially a good move by the way. Those taking that course are playing a high risk-high reward game—it’ll go especially good for the one who lands that modeling contract—if that agency is legit, that is. Otherwise, there are a lot of ways to crash and burn for those taking part. I’d appreciate it if you fill me in on anything juicy that happens.”

“You’ll be the first to know, Tori.” Angie grinned as the bell rang signaling the beginning of classes, “We’ll see you later.” 

Waiting until Tori was safely out of earshot, Elizaveta whispered into her girlfriend’s ear, “You’re right. It is a good idea to stay on Tori’s good side. She’s a good source of intel for what goes on around here.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head as the pair walked to Mr. DeMartino’s class. “I don’t like getting into the popularity games here, but it’s always a good idea to keep your ear to the ground so that you don’t get blindsided and Tori’s the go-to person for any gossip that’s happening around here.”

Glaring at the two blondes as they walked towards their class, Sandi addressed the rest of the fashion club—two members in particular feeling her wrath. “Quinn…Stacy…do you have any excuses as to why you were upstaged by those two blonde lesbians at Chez Pierre last night?”

“One of those blonde lesbians…” Quinn said in a low edged voice warning the Fashion Club president that she was on shaky ground, “…is my sister and, while I’m as upset as you are about being upstaged by her, Angie, and that other girl, we were dressed in the latest _Waif_ approved fashions. They obviously had outside help in coordinating.”

“Yeah…” Stacy stammered, offering as an excuse, “Angie’s mother is the women’s department manager at Cashmans. She must have helped them.”

Deciding, for now, that it was better to maintain her cold-war rivalry status with Quinn rather than risking a full-blown conflict by pressing either the fashion issue or that of Elizaveta’s sexuality, Sandi settled for appearing magnanimous as she responded in a patronizing voice, “In the future we must take steps to ensure that we are never seen as being behind the fashion curve. We are the ones who dictate what is fashionable at this school. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be upstaged by others. From now on, we must be more diligent and careful in our choices. Remember, the school is counting on us to maintain our high standards in fashion.”

 

As they exited Mr. DeMartino’s class at the end of the period, both Kevin and Brittany came up to Elizaveta and Angie.

“Hey, Britt…Kevin…” Angie grinned.

“What’s up?” Elizaveta asked.

“So…” Brittany asked as she twirled a lock of golden hair, “…is it true that you two are going together?”

“Yes, it is.” Angie nodded her head, “Is that a problem with you, Britt?” She asked as she held her breath waiting for her long-time friend to answer.

“No…” Brittany shook her head and smiled an innocent smile, “As long as you two are happy like me and my Kevvy are, that’s all that matters—right?”

“Right.” Angie smiled back, “I’m glad you see it that way, Brittany.”

“I got a question though…” Kevin asked with a totally innocent, almost childlike look on his face, “Which one of you is the boy?”

“We take turns.” Elizaveta replied with a sly grin.

“Ohhh…’ Brittany exclaimed as comprehension slowly dawned.

“Really?” Kevin asked, genuinely curious.

“No, Kevin.” Elizaveta smiled back, “We’re still at the kissing and snuggling phase. We haven’t gone there yet.”

“Oh…okay…” Brittany responded. “Well…we gotta go now…see you later!”

“Good one, Sis.” Daria said as a slight smile appeared on her face.

“I think you should have strung them along for a while. You could have gotten a lot more mileage out of it.” Jane declared with a wider grin.

Shaking her head, Elizaveta responded, “I didn’t have the heart to string those two on for too long.”

“That’s your big weakness, Sis.” Daria quipped, “You’re too soft. You should have gone in for the kill.”

“So…how’s it been going today?” Jane asked, Mack and Jodie joining the gathering as the group entered the cafeteria.

“About as we thought it would.” Angie responded, “We’ve heard the odd dyke or lesbo crack here and there, but for the most part, people either don’t care, are curious, or are happy for us. Nothing’s really changed with Nikki, Lisa, or the other cheerleaders either. We’re still friends.” She then chuckled, “Nikki just joked about not wanting to catch us doing stuff to each other in the showers and that was it.”

“Bad news is that Ms. Defoe told us that Jennifer…not Burnout Girl…the other Jennifer…quit the dance club once she found out about us, but other than that, the dancers are all with us. And you already know that Ms. Defoe’s on our side.” Elizaveta said as the group picked up their trays and sat down at their usual table.

“Well…I’m glad things are going ok.” Jodie remarked and then shook her head, “I heard about Stacy and Eddie. Normally, I don’t like to see stuff like what you guys did to Quinn and Stacy at Chez Pierre, but this time I’m glad you did what you did. Quinn didn’t have any business pushing Stacy into that date and Stacy should have had the guts to have at least talked to Eddie instead of just dumping him like she did.”

“Quinn was fully pissed this morning.” Daria recounted, her flat tone of voice disguising her glee at her sister’s discomfort. “Screamed about Elizaveta and Angie upstaging her and Stacy. Mom just shook her head and then told Elizaveta…” She then looked at her sister who continued the narrative.

“Anya told me after Quinn had stormed off that she didn’t think me and Angie had such sharp claws and that she was glad that we didn’t really use them, and that she hoped that was the end of it, and I told her it was and that seemed to satisfy her.”

“I wish I were there.” Jane smirked.

Daria then quipped, “I should have had my camcorder with me when it happened.” She then turned to her blonde sister, “Congratulations on your first humiliation of Quinn. May it be the first of many more.”

“I didn’t want to do it.” Elizaveta confessed and then added defensively, “But I didn’t like how she forced Stacy into that date and I didn’t like how Stacy treated Eddie.”

“Same here.” Angie agreed as she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand. “And it’s not as if we didn’t warn Stacy not to do that.”

“Not to mention that Skylar Feldman and Brad Phillips are total jerks.” Mack declared. “Feldman only gets the dates he gets because his family’s loaded and Phillips only gets dates because he’s Feldman’s wing man.” After looking down at his lunch and shaking his head in dismay at what he saw, the football team captain asked, “So…what’s this girl Jeannette like?”

“She’s a good kid.” Jane promptly responded. “Kind of quiet and shy. A lot of depth to her. And she’s a damned good artist.”

“I think her and Eddie will be a good match once he gets over Stacy.” Angie predicted as she reluctantly swallowed the piece of ham that was the lunch entrée for the day.

“I like her.” Elizaveta agreed. “I hope things will work out with her and Eddie.”

“So…” Jodie drawled as she finished her lunch, “How ugly do you think it’s going to get at that modeling class after school?”

“Pretty ugly.” Angie predicted.

“We can only hope.” Daria quipped with a sly grin.

“Let the mayhem commence.” Jane joked as the group gathered their trays and walked to the kitchen to deposit them.

 

After the class had taken their seats in Mr. O’Neill’s class, he perched himself on the edge of the desk and began to speak, “Before we start our discussion of _The Scarlet Letter_ , I would like to talk about something else…something that should touch us all as two of your fellow students have boldly…”

“Here it comes…” Angie whispered to her girlfriend as she squeezed her hand under the desk.

Daria, raising her hand, quickly interrupted before the teacher could complete his sentence, “Mr. O’Neill…what’s your position regarding Nathaniel Hawthorne’s _Scarlet Letter_ as being a social commentary of his time rather than a treatment of life in Puritan New England?”

Successfully, for now, at least, distracted from the topic he was about to discuss, Mr. O’Neill replied, “That’s an interesting observation, Daria. What do you think?”

Daria dragged on her point as long as possible in an effort to eat the clock until, exhausted, she sat down just as Jodie raised her hand to continue the discussion for several more minutes until finally, Mr. O’Neill brought the subject back to the topic he originally wanted to discuss only to have Brittany raise her hand this time.

“Yes, Brittany?” Mr. O’Neill sighed.

“Mr. O’Neill?” The perky blonde cheerleader asked as she twirled a lock of her blonde hair, “Why was the A scarlet? That makes it look like blood and that’s icky!”

“Oh dear…” Mr. O’Neill moaned as he slumped to the floor in a faint.

As their English teacher lay temporarily comatose, Brittany turned her head towards her fellow cheerleaders and flashed them a conspiratorial wink just as the bell rang signaling the end of classes for the day.

 

Entering the auditorium, Angie and Elizaveta quickly found seats behind Daria, Jane, and Trent, and next to Jodie and Mack. “Hi!” The pair greeted as they took their seats.

“Hey.” The others responded. 

“Made it in time.” Jane quipped, “Fun’s about to start.”

Just then, the model candidates—all fashion club members except for a pudgy, but attractive, red-headed girl, were all walking the runway as Romanica directed them. As Stacy took her turn, she remembered the talent scout’s instructions to imagine her worst enemy at the end of the catwalk and, imagining Jeannette about to have her leg cut off, her facial expression and demeanor instantly changed, becoming harsh and even cruel.

“Looks like Stacy bought into that witch’s pitch.” Angie whispered.

“Yeah.” Jodie whispered back, “I think she forgot that she was the one that did the dumping.”

“Maybe we were wrong about her.” Elizaveta whispered with a note of sadness in her voice, “Maybe she is just like the rest of the fashion snots.” Then, putting a smile on her face, she tapped Trent on the shoulder, “Hey, Trent. What are you doing here?”

“Musician…models…” Trent recited before Jane cut him off.

“Don’t get him started again.”

“Why’s Daria so quiet.” Angie whispered into Jane’s ear.

“Take a guess.” Jane snickered in a low voice as her gaze fell on her older brother.

“Ah…” Angie smirked and then looked up as she heard Brittany sobbing, “Hey, Britt?” She called out to her old friend. “What’s wrong?”

Sitting down next to Angie Brittany cried, “I should be up there on stage with the winners, not down here with the losers!”

“We talked about this yesterday, Brittany.” Angie said in a soft, yet firm, voice. “There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just that you weren’t the type they were looking for. Now…look at me…” Seeing that her friend was looking down or to the side…everywhere but at her…Angie sharpened her voice slightly, “Look at me, Brittany!” She commanded. Seeing that she had the blonde cheerleader’s full attention, Angie softened her tone somewhat, “Do I look like a loser to you?”

“No.” Brittany shook her head.

“Now look at Elizaveta. Do you think she’s a loser?”

Brittany looked at the blonde seated next to her old friend and gazed into lovely, yet also steely, alert, and determined eyes and took in her confident face and demeanor and replied in her usual squeaky voice, “No.”

“Now look at Jodie, Jane, Mack, Trent, and Daria. Do you think they’re losers?”

Brittany saw looks varying from quiet confidence in the case of Jodie and Mack to amusement on the part of Jane, total indifference on the part of Trent, and a quiet sense of upcoming danger emanating from Daria and replied in a soft and shaky voice, “No.”

“Good.” Angie cooed gently, seeing that her old friend had calmed down. “The real losers here…” she declared, “…are the ones on that stage. Look at how they’re being treated. Just like cattle. Try to imagine Sandi doing a pyramid.”

Not only Brittany, but also Jodie and Jane began to snicker at that thought as even Daria’s lips turned up in a slight smile. “She’d fall flat on her face.” Brittany giggled.

“Now…” Angie continued, “Imagine Quinn even trying to keep up with our training routine. She’d give up after a day of working out with us. She’d never stop complaining about the sweat.”

“You’re right! Thanks, Angie!” A more upbeat Brittany exclaimed as Kevin entered the auditorium with two cheerleaders, Nikki and Lisa following close behind.

“Hey, babe!” Kevin grinned as he gave his girlfriend a kiss.

“Hi Kevvy!” Brittany smiled widely as she kissed her boyfriend back.

Seeing that it was time to put her plan into action, Daria turned to Jane. “I’ve got to make a phone call now.”

“We followed him to make sure he didn’t get into any trouble and to help out with Brittany if needed.” Nikki explained and then asked, “So…how did you two get through the day? Any problems?”

“Not really.” Elizaveta smiled back, “A couple of jerks but that’s about it. Nothing we couldn’t deal with.”

“You there!” Claude called out, pointing to Kevin.

“Me?” Kevin replied with a stupefied look on his face.

“Yes.” Claude replied, “Why don’t you come up and help our pretty little sparrows pose with handsome eagles.”

“Sure!” Kevin excitedly exclaimed as he joined Joey, Jeffy, and Jaime on the stage.

Seeing Brittany about to fall apart again after she had just settled her down, Angie sighed, “Nikki…Lisa…could you please take Brittany out for a pizza and soda or anything else she wants.” Dropping her voice, she pleaded, “Just get her out of here—I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna blow up here soon and I don’t want her around when the fireworks start.”

“Sure thing, Angie.” Nikki responded as she and Lisa quietly escorted a now sobbing Brittany out of the auditorium. “C’mon, Britt…let’s go out for some pizza.”

“Smooth…” Jane praised, “You’re pretty good at settling Brittany down.”

“I’ve been friends with her since kindergarten.” Angie explained, “No one takes the time to actually sit and listen to her at home or anywhere else. Her father gives her anything she wants but doesn’t spend any time with her. Ashley-Amber’s more like one of them…” her gaze fell on the Fashion Club would be models on the stage “…she shops with her and pushes her to do stupid stuff like this but doesn’t talk to her about anything important. And Kevin…” Angie rolled her eyes as both Jane and Elizaveta laughed “…less said the better.” Shaking her head, Angie continued, “And then there’s her kid brother.” Sighing as she concluded her tale, Angie said, “For the longest time, ever since her mother died, Brittany has had absolutely no one to turn to…no one who will really listen to her or care about what she thinks…”

“She has you.” Elizaveta whispered as she gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze and kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah.” Jane said in a quiet voice as it suddenly flashed on her that, in many ways, she was to Daria what Angie was to Brittany—a lifeline to a friend who so desperately wanted someone to listen to them.

“Tell me that guy didn’t tell them to do what I thought I heard him tell them to do!” Jodie exclaimed in disbelief as the boys began to take off their shirts.

“I’m afraid you did.” Mack exhaled as Claude now ordered the girls to run their hands all over the boys’ chests.

“No way!” Quinn muttered to herself as she crossed her arms. “No frigging way!” She then spoke up, “I have to go to the bathroom,” quickly exiting the stage.

“Yay, Quinn!” Elizaveta quietly cheered as Daria took her seat once more. 

“So…where’s Brittany?” Daria asked as she watched the pudgy red-headed girl pawing Kevin.

“Nikki and Lisa took her away from ground zero just in time.” Elizaveta replied and then flashed an evil grin at her sister, “So what have you just cooked up.”

“Wait and see, grasshopper…” was all the auburn-haired teen would say as her lips turned up in a sly grin of her own.

As the girls on stage were fondling the chests of the boys, Ms. Li came on to the stage.

“Right on cue.” Daria muttered under her breath as the principal’s eyes finally registered the scene being played out in front of her.

“What the hell is going on here!” Ms. Li exclaimed as Elizaveta and the others seated around her began to laugh while Daria just sat there, quiet, with a smug, self-satisfied look on her face.

“You there…you…stop that!” Ms. Li demanded, “Put your shirts back on!”

“They’ve all gone to kitty heaven.” Jane quipped. 

“More like kitty litter.” Angie smirked in response.

 

“Hey…” Tori grinned as she approached Elizaveta and Angie standing in front of their lockers, “Thanks for the gossip on the modeling meltdown yesterday, and don’t worry, Angie. I’ll leave out the part about Brittany.”

“Thanks.” Angie grinned, “I appreciate it. Britt’s had enough to deal with this week.”

“Be sure you’re at today’s assembly.” Elizaveta advised, “Last night, Daria had a Brutal Mercenary Magazine in one hand and a phone in the other and the same grin she has on her face when she’s getting ready to pull something on Quinn. She’s got something cooked up and knowing her, it’ll be fun and it’ll be devastating.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” Tori smiled back, “I’ll be there.”

Filing into the auditorium with the rest of the students, Elizaveta and Angie took their usual seats next to Jodie and Mack as Tori joined them, sitting down next to Angie.

“Show’s about to start.” Angie said as Ms. Li strode to the podium, “The Wicked Witch is about to speak.”

From the moment she stated that modeling had nothing to do with sex, things began to spiral downhill for the principal as Brittany, having found out about what Kevin was doing on the stage with the plump red-headed girl, snapped angrily at her boyfriend, “How could you do that! In front of everyone!”

“But I was only modeling!” Kevin weakly defended himself as Brittany stormed off, the final insult for the blonde cheerleader being when a slutty girl dropped the bomb on Brittany that she had gotten to the quarterback first.

“Damn.” Angie whispered, “Fill me in on what I miss, will you baby?” Angie asked as she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, “I’ve got to take care of Brittany.”

“Go ahead, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled warmly at her love, “I’ll keep your seat warm.”

 

“Hey, Britt!” Angie called out. “Hold up!”

“Angie!” Brittany cried as she collapsed sobbing in her friend’s arms. “How could Kevvy do that to me!”

“It’s going to be ok, Brittany.” Angie cooed gently. “You know Kevin’s never going to leave you.” She didn’t have the heart to say, Cheat on you, yeah…but how many times have you cheated on him, Britt. “See…” She smiled as she pointed to the quarterback who had just come out of the auditorium looking for his girlfriend. “He hasn’t left you. Go to him.”

“Kevvy!”

Sighing in relief, Angie returned to her seat and kissed Elizaveta, “Miss anything, baby?”

“No.” Elizaveta smiled back as she kissed her girlfriend. “Ms. Li just got things settled down again. Brittany ok?”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “Kevin’s got her now.”

“Good.” Elizaveta sighed and then a loud noise from a boombox rang out through auditorium.

A band of mercenaries, all wearing olive-drab fatigues and led by a rough-faced man with brown hair and wearing a fatigue cap and olive-drab t-shirt marched towards the stage sounding out in unison, “Kill the enemy!”

Laughing, Elizaveta shouted in a loud voice, “Baszni rá” 

“I don’t know what you said.” Tori chuckled, “But I got a feeling it was good.”

“Hoo Rah!” Mack, getting into the swing of things, then yelled out.

“Eat me!” Angie shouted only to have Elizaveta whisper in her ear.

“Uh uh. The only one who’s going to eat you is me.”

“One day…when the time’s right and we’re ready, we’re going to eat each other up.” Angie whispered back as she kissed her girlfriend on the lips much to the delight of Upchuck who was watching from several seats away.

“Feisty…”

As she overheard part of the lovers’ conversation, Tori Jericho smiled as she decided that this piece of juicy gossip would stay buried.

Then the media made its appearance as Daria smiled, her victory over Amazon Modeling and Ms. Li now complete.

 

Elizaveta and Angie lay down on the couch in her living room, snuggled up together, watching the news on television with Mrs. Harmon when the news reported the story that, while Principal Li denied inviting mercenary recruiters to campus, she did invite the Amazon Modeling Agency to come in and recruit students to become models.

“Why hasn’t that woman been thrown in jail yet?” Mrs. Harmon asked with a sigh.

“She has to have someone with pull protecting her, Mom.” Angie replied as Elizaveta caressed her arm.

“That’s has to be it.” Elizaveta agreed. “But it has to be someone higher up the food chain than the schoolboard.”

“Yeah.” Jessica Harmon nodded her head in agreement. “We’re talking county commission or even someone in state government.”

“I wonder what she’s got over them.” Angie speculated, “It’s gotta be something big. Otherwise, they’d have just cut their losses and let her hang a long time ago.”

“Whatever it is…” Mrs. Harmon declared as she stood up, “Sooner or later, her luck’s going to run out.” Stretching and yawning, Jessica announced, “I’m going to go on to bed. Don’t forget to take Elizaveta home before her curfew, Angie.”

“Ok, Mom. I’ll remember.” Angie grinned and then kissed her girlfriend, “So how much time does that leave us, baby?”

“Two hours, szereto.” Elizaveta cooed as she kissed Angie on the lips and then on her neck. “Wonder how we’re going to pass the time.”

“We’ll come up with something.” Angie whispered back as she showered her girlfriend with kisses.

“Hmmmm…. I like something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part was something of a monster. I don't know if it's true of other writers here, but with me, the characters talk to me. I had originally intended to keep Eddie and Stacy together for a while--possibly even breaking Stacy from the Fashion Club, but Stacy told me in no uncertain terms that she was not ready to do that yet. That at this point, she told me that she could not stand up against Sandi and Quinn and that she'd fold and, she was right. The characters pretty much wrote this part, I was just along for the ride. I had originally intended to not dwell much on This Year's Model as a frame, but again, the characters had other things to say. I did some changes to how the episode actually went in that the presence of Angie and Elizaveta would have changed reactions and events somewhat. Angie's friendship with Brittany would have made her the first person Brittany would have turned to rather than Daria. Angie's friendship with Brittany is also a subject I'm looking to explore more in depth as well--in many ways, it is like Jane's and Daria's. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying the story.


	11. Angie's Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie tells Elizaveta a story about her growing up in Lawndale.

As the rhythmic sounds of Dave Brubeck and his band playing “Take Five” resounded through the Morgendorffer living room, Elizaveta, lying down on the couch with her head on her girlfriend Angie’s lap, sighed contentedly as the two girls enjoyed the night alone at the Morgendorffer house. Helen and Jake were both working late while Quinn was at Sandi’s at a Fashion Club meeting and Daria was at Jane’s. 

“Tell us a story, szereto.” Elizaveta pleaded as Angie gently ran her fingers through her hair.

“So you want to hear a story, baby?” Angie chuckled gently as she fed her girlfriend a grape, dropping it into her mouth. “Ok…here’s a good one.” A warm smile came to her face as the lovely platinum-blonde began her tale, “Once upon a time, many years ago, a family moved from their old home in Pennsylvania to a sleepy little town called Lawndale…”

 

_**Lawndale: Eleven Years Ago (Lawndale Universe Time) before Elizaveta arrived** _

Jack Harmon grinned as he ruffled the platinum-blonde hair of his five-year old daughter, Angie. “Kindergarten here we come!”

“Jack!” Jessica Harmon chided with a smile on her face as she took a brush out of her purse and brushed her daughter’s hair back in place. Smiling at Angie, she made some final adjustments to her daughter’s dress and lifting up her chin with her finger, smiled down at her. “You’re our little girl.”  
“That’s right, Ace.” Jack smiled down warmly at his little girl as he took one of her hands while his wife took the other. “Ready to start your first day?”

“I guess so…” Angie smiled shyly at her parents as they walked towards the school doors. “But I don’t have any friends.”

“Don’t worry, honey, you’ll make new friends—lots of ‘em.” Jack said encouragingly as they walked through the doors of Lawndale Elementary School. “Home of the Fighting Lemmings.” Jack laughed as they were encountered with a poster of the school mascot upon entry.

“Someone must have your sense of humor, Jack.” Jessica kidded, cracking a smile at her husband as she pointed to the poster.

“Yeah.” Jack replied, still laughing as he looked down on his daughter. “So, what do you think of your new mascot, Ace?”

“I think he looks cute.” Angie replied with a laugh.

“Well…here we are.” Jack announced as they reached the principal’s office. “Let’s get you registered, Ace, so that you can meet some new friends, ok?”

“Ok, Daddy.” Angie grinned back as her mother smiled proudly down at her daughter.

“You’re all set.” Mrs. Burns said with a smile as she handed a form to Mr. and Mrs. Harmon. “Angie’s in room A-45, Ms. Ellington’s class. Don’t worry, she’ll be in excellent hands. Ms. Ellington might be new here, but she has a great rapport with the students.” She then smiled at Angie, “Ready to start your great adventure, young lady?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Angie smiled back.

“I’ll escort you to the classroom and then you can say your goodbyes until you pick her up this afternoon.” Mrs. Burns said as she got up from her desk and adjusted her bifocals.

After a short walk, they arrived at their destination, room A-45. “Bye…Bye, Ace. Have a great day at school and meet lots of new friends.” Jack said as he knelt down in front of his daughter, then, putting his apparently empty palm over her ear, pulled it back to reveal a quarter. “Wow! This must be your lucky quarter!” He grinned as he handed the coin to his smiling little girl. “As long as you keep this coin, even when things look really bad, you’ll know that they’ll get better because it’s got a little bit of your Dad’s magic in it.” He then hugged and kissed her before standing up.

“Have fun, baby.” Kneeling down, Jessica smiled at her daughter as she hugged her. “Remember to do what your teacher tells you to do and here’s your lunch.” She said as she handed Angie a lunch bag with the picture of a butterfly on it. “Be good and we’ll see you this afternoon.”

Watching as her mom and dad walked away, Angie almost cried until she felt a caring hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be ok, Angie.” Mrs. Burns said in a kindly voice. “You’re going to have a lot of fun today. Are you ready to meet some new friends?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Angie managed a shaky grin as she looked up at the kindly principal.

Opening the door, Mrs. Burns gently guided Angie into the classroom. “Good morning, Ms. Ellington.” The principal smiled as the lovely brunette kindergarten teacher stood up and made her way towards where the principal and her new student stood. “I want you to meet the newest member of our Lemming family. This is Angelica Harmon. Angie…this is Ms. Ellington. She’s going to be your teacher this year.”

“Ma’am.” A shy Angie greeted.

“Hello, Angie.” Ms. Ellington smiled at her newest student. “Welcome to our class. We’re in circle time right now.” She said as she gestured at the other children siting around a circle. Come with me and we’ll find you a place to sit.”

“Ms. Ellington?” One of the children, a blonde girl with an innocent smile, called out as she raised her hand.

“Yes, Brittany?”

“She can sit next to me.” The little girl said as she made room for the new kid.

“That’s very nice of you, Brittany.” Ms. Ellington smiled back, and then smiled at Angie, “Why don’t you sit down next to Brittany and you can join us.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Angie smiled back as she sat down next to the girl. “Hi, I’m Angie.”

“I’m Brittany.” The other blonde smiled back. “Do you want to be my friend?”

“Yes.” Angie smiled back, happy that she’d already made a friend in her new hometown. 

 

_**Lawndale: The Present** _

“So, that was when you first met Brittany.” Elizaveta smiled as she looked up at her girlfriend who was still feeding her grapes.

“Yeah.” Angie replied with a warm grin on her face. “Right from the beginning she wanted to be my friend.”

“That’s nice.” Elizaveta sighed, “What about the lucky coin your father gave you?”

“I still have it.” Angie said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a laminated quarter. “I always keep it with me.” She sighed as she brushed back a tear. “It reminds me of him.”

“I’m sorry, szereto.” Elizaveta apologized, “I didn’t mean to…”

“Nothing to be sorry for, baby.” Angie replied as she caressed her girlfriend’s cheek and ran her fingers through her hair. “Those are happy tears because I’m thinking of all the good times we had.”

“Tell me more?” Elizaveta pleaded as Angie fed her another grape.

“All right.” Angie’s lips turned up in a mischievous grin as she bent down, “But it’ll cost you a kiss.”

“Ok.” Elizaveta smiled back as she rose up enough to meet her lover’s lips for a gentle kiss. Lying back down on Angie’s lap, she begged, “More?”

“Ok, baby…”

 

_**Lawndale: About Eleven Years Ago** _

“Let’s introduce ourselves to Angie.” Ms. Ellington instructed the other children sitting around the circle. “And then we can all show her our morning routine. Let’s start with you, Brittany.”

“Hi.” The blonde girl smiled, “My name is Brittany Taylor. My Daddy works in an ad agency and my Mommy was an actress before she married Daddy.”

“I’m Chuck.” The red-headed boy on the other side of Angie said, “That’s what everybody calls me, but my name is Charles Ruttheimer the Third.”

“Hi…” A young African-American girl smiled, “My name’s Jodie Landon.”

Then a young African American boy introduced himself, “Hi. I’m Michael. Michael Jordan Mackenzie, but everyone calls me Mack.”

“Hi. I’m Lisa.” A dark-haired girl said.

“I’m Nikki.” Another dark-haired girl introduced herself.

“I’m Jane.” A dark-haired girl announced, “Jane Lane.”

After the other boys and girls had introduced themselves, Ms. Ellington took out a clock face with the minute hand pointed to twelve and the hour hand on eight. “Now, everyone, what time is it?”

“Eight o’clock.” All the kids responded.

“Very good!” The teacher praised.

The class continued for about an hour until Ms. Ellington got up and smiling, clapped her hands once. “Ok boys and girls, what time is it?”

“Free play time!’ The kids enthusiastically responded.

“That’s right!” Ms. Ellington smiled, “So everyone find a partner and go to your first station.”

“Wanna be my partner?” Brittany asked Angie.

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back.

“We’re get to play with Play-Doh first.” Brittany exclaimed happily as she took Angie over to the station where the modeling clay was kept. “What do you wanna make?”

“I like horseys.” Angie grinned.

“Wow!” Brittany smiled, “I like horseys too!”

The two girls then made two horses and a corral for them as the other children played at their different stations. Chuck, partnered with Jane at the fingerpainting station, began to cry as the dark-haired little girl shoved him away.

“Jane…” Ms. Ellington frowned, “…what did we say about sharing?”

“But he’s messing up my painting.” Jane complained. “I was making a house and he messed it up!”

“I didn’t mean to.” Chuck cried, “I only wanted to put in a doggie!”

“Didn’t want a doggie.” Jane complained, “Wanted a snake.”

“Ok…” Ms. Ellington smiled as she took out a fresh piece of paper and then, dipping her finger in the blue paint, drew a line down the center. “Chuck…you paint on this side of the line, and Jane you paint on the other and no one crosses the line. Right?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Both kids replied.

The kids would play at their stations for about fifteen minutes before being rotated to another station until the teacher once again clapped her hands. “All right, class, it’s snack time!”

“Yay!” The kids cried out in glee as the teacher took out a bag of bite sized candies. 

The day went on until it was recess and the kindergarteners got their chance to play outside. “Race you to the swings!” Angie challenged Brittany as the pair dashed out on to the playground. Reaching the swings at almost the same time, the two girls each sat down on a swing and began to swing, laughing and giggling as they swung up and down until Ms. Ellington blew her whistle and clapped her hands.

“Okay, boys and girls! Recess is over. Let’s get into our line and walk back to class.” As the class entered the classroom, the teacher said in a low voice, “All right everyone, get your mats, it’s nap time.”

Setting their naps next to each other, Angie and Brittany smiled at each other as they drifted off to sleep.

The school day coming to an end, Angie waited in the classroom until it was time for the car-riders to go to the front of the school to be picked up. Walking side by side with her new friend, she grinned as she saw her parents waiting for her. “See you tomorrow, Brittany.”

“Bye, Angie!” Brittany smiled back as she dashed to her where her mother was waiting.

“Hi baby!” Jessica Harmon smiled as she hugged her little girl. “You have a good day at school?”

“Yeah, Mommy!” Angie grinned as she hugged her mother back, “I met a new friend. Her name’s Brittany and she’s a nice girl and fun.”

“That’s great, sweetie.” Jessica grinned. “See…me and your Dad told you that you’d make a new friend.”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

Elizaveta sighed as Angie fed her another grape. “Ace?”

“That was Dad’s special name for me.” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile. “It was short for Ace of Hearts because I was his number one baby girl.”

“That’s so sweet.” Elizaveta munched down on the grape and then asked, “But where’s Kevin? Wasn’t he in school with you?”

“No.” Angie shook her head, “Not yet. He doesn’t come in until much later—when things really started to change for Brittany—and not for the better.”

“Upchuck and Jane fingerpainting together?” Elizaveta chuckled. “I’m trying to picture that in my mind.”

“Yeah.” Angie laughed and then her voice grew pensive, “Back before the Upchuck days, Chuck was actually a pretty decent boy—a bit on the shy side, but not bad to be around. But once puberty hit…” She shook her head, “That’s where Chuck ended and Upchuck began.”

“Jane seemed to be pretty much a loner even back then.” Elizaveta observed.

Angie nodded her head in agreement as she played with a lock of her girlfriend’s hair. “Yeah. Her mother would sometimes pick her up when she was in town—which wasn’t that often. We almost never saw her father. Usually, it was her older brother, Wind, or her older sister, Summer, who would pick her and Trent up from school.”

“That’s sad.” Elizaveta sighed, “I know things get crazy here, but anya and apa really do love us and they try real hard even if they do mess up a lot.”

“Yeah…” Angie sighed as she looked wistfully at the coin in her hand, “I loved my Dad. Don’t get me wrong—I love Mom too—very much. But…I was always Daddy’s little girl.”

Lifting herself up, Elizaveta gently caressed her girlfriend’s cheek and then kissed her. “Tell me more, please.”

“Okay, baby.” Angie smiled as she returned her lover’s caresses and kiss. “Lie back down and I’ll tell you.”

 

_**Lawndale About Eight Years Ago** _

“Ho…Ho…Ho! Merry Christmas!” Jack, wearing a Santa hat and a fake beard, called out into his daughter’s room on Christmas morning. “Rise and shine, Ace! Look what Santa brought you!”

Throwing the covers off her bed, eight-year old Angie leaped off the bed and dashed to the living room where a tall Christmas tree decorated with red, blue, and green ornaments and with lights, silver and gold tinsel, and peppermint canes hung with a star on the top. Boxes of presents were laid underneath the tree where Angie’s mom sat down on the floor.

“Come here, baby.” Jessica smiled as she held her arms out for her daughter. “Daddy’s going to see what Santa brought for you.”

“Hmmm…” Jack grinned as he handed a present to his little girl, “This one’s from your Mom and Dad.” He said as his daughter ripped off the packaging to reveal a plastic model kit of the Apollo spacecraft along with the Saturn V booster rocket and LEM.

“We know you love reading about space and all and thought of you when we saw it in the store.” Jack said, a big grin appearing on his face when he saw the pleased reaction coming from his little girl. “We can put it together, if you want.”  
“Thank you, Mommy!” Angie hugged her mother. “Thank you, Daddy!” She then ran over and hugged her father.

“There’s more.” He smiled as he handed several other presents to his little girl including _The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes_ , specially written for children, and _The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System_ , dolls and assorted toys, and, of course, clothes. Taking out the last package, he smiled as he read the name of the person who gave his daughter the gift, “And this is from…’Your best friend in the whole wide world, Brittany.’ And she put a little heart over her i.”

Opening the present, Angie smiled as she recognized the cheerleader Barbie. “Now me and Brittany can play with our Barbies together!” She said as she set the doll down next to the model rocket her parents had gotten her. “This has been the best Christmas ever!”

“We’re glad you’re happy, baby.” Jessica grinned as she and Jack exchanged presents. “Now, why don’t you help us get everything cleaned up because your grandma and Aunt Ellie will be coming over for Christmas dinner.”

A few weeks later, back at school as the two little girls were sitting in Mrs. Stoller’s third grade class waiting for the bell to ring, Angie whispered to Brittany, “Thank you for the Barbie. Now we can play cheerleaders together.”

“My little brother got into my Barbies yesterday.” Brittany sobbed, “He ripped all their arms and legs off.”

“I’m sorry.” Angie replied, “You can come over to my house and play with me anytime you want.”

“Thank you!” Brittany smiled as the bell rang. “You’re my best friend.”

“And you’re mine.” Angie smiled back as Mrs. Stoller began the class.

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“A cheerleader Barbie, huh?” Elizaveta grinned as Angie dropped another grape in her mouth.

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back, “Mom and Dad let me pick out a tea set for Brittany. Unfortunately, the little monster got into that too and broke it.” Shaking her head, she groaned, “Even at two years old, Brian was shaping up to be a terror. He’s only gotten worse as he’s gotten older.” Sighing, Angie dropped her head, “Me and Dad had fun putting that model together—I’ve shown it to you—haven’t I?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head.

“That’s right. Aunt Ellie has it now. When we moved to the townhouse we’re living in now because our old house was just too big for us and it had…too many memories, we gave it to her to look after and decided to let her keep it because it reminded her so much of my Dad—he was her younger brother, you know, and they were very close.”

“It sounded like you had a really great Christmas.” Elizaveta smiled.

“If I’d have only known that I’d have two more birthdays and one more Christmas with him. My tenth birthday was the last time he sang Happy Birthday to me.” Angie said as a tear rolled down her cheek to land on Elizaveta.

“I understand if it’s too painful for you to talk to me about it…” Elizaveta said in a soft voice as she reached up and caressed her girlfriend’s cheek.

“No…” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile, “I want to tell you all about him. I think if you two had met, he’d have liked you.”

“I think I’d have liked him too.” Elizaveta smiled as Angie continued her tale.

 

_**Lawndale About Six Years Ago** _

 

“This way, Ace.” Jack Harmon grinned as he walked with his little girl through the front door of their townhouse and into the living room. “Surprise!” He yelled with everyone else in the room as Angie clapped her hands in glee.

“My baby’s ten-years old!” Jack proudly proclaimed as Jessica led her daughter to the birthday cake—a chocolate layer cake with ten candles on it and decorated with stars and spaceships. Lighting the candles, he began to sing with everyone else in the room soon joining in, “Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday to you…” After the song was over, he leaned over his daughter’s shoulder and whispered, “Ok, Ace. Make a wish and blow out those candles!”

Taking a deep breath, Angie blew with all her might, blowing out all ten candles with one breath.

“All right!” Jack exclaimed, “That means your wish is going to come true!”

“What did you wish for Angie? Little ten-year old Brittany asked with a big grin on her face.

“I wished that we’d always be together.” Angie smiled as her mother and father both hugged her and then each other.

“Here…” Brittany smiled as she handed her best friend her birthday present. “I hope you like it. Mommy picked it out for me.”

“I know I will, Brittany.” Angie grinned as she opened the present, her grin turning into a wide smile as she showed everyone the ballerina music jewelry box. “Thank you, Brittany. You’re my best friend!”

Hugging her friend back, Brittany smiled, “Best friends forever and ever!”

As Angie and her guests were eating their cake and ice cream, she noticed that Brittany had withdrawn to a corner all by herself. “Is something wrong, Brittany?” Angie asked.

“It’s Mr. Ruffles, my cat.” Brittany said, her head lowered, “He’s gone.”

“Maybe he just went out for a walk and he’ll be back in time for dinner?” Angie consoled.

“No…” Brittany shook her head, “He’s been gone for a week. I got Daddy to look for him, but he couldn’t find him. I asked Brian if he knew where he was, but he just laughed and ran away.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Angie said as she hugged her friend, “Maybe he’ll turn up or a neighbor will see him and bring him back.”

“I hope so.” Brittany sobbed, “I miss him.” Shaking her head, she remarked in a somber voice, “Mommy and Daddy are yelling at each other more. I heard them fighting yesterday. Mommy was telling him that there’s something wrong with Brian and that it’s getting to the point where she can’t take it anymore, but Daddy keeps saying that he’ll grow out of it.”

The two girls talked and hugged for several minutes afterwards as the party went on around them until Jack came up to them and asked them in a quiet, concerned voice, “Is everything ok, Ace…Brittany?”

“Everything’s fine, Daddy.” Angie smiled back at her father, “We were just talking best friend stuff.”

“I understand, honey.” Jack smiled. “You two take as much time as you want, I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“You don’t think he’s…” Elizaveta’s voice trailed off in a combination of shock and disbelief.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure of it.” Angie nodded her head, replying in a grim tone, “Every time Mr. Taylor has gotten a cat or kitten for Brittany, it disappears a few weeks later. Brittany’s given up on trying to keep a cat even though Mr. Taylor or Ashley-Amber will buy her one anyway. She won’t give it a name or form any real attachment to it because she knows in a week or two it’ll be gone.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she continued, “I remember once, when I was staying with Brittany, I got a look into Brian’s room and saw some electrical cord and duct tape. When I asked Mr. Taylor about it, he said he’d look into it, but didn’t say anything about it afterwards. When I asked him about it a few weeks later, he said for me not to worry, that it had been taken care of.”

“Does Brittany know about it?” Elizaveta asked.

“She suspects Brian’s been killing the cats.” Angie nodded her head. “She’s not as stupid as people think she is. I know sometimes I call her an airhead and get irritated at her, but I love her—not like that…” She chuckled as she gave Elizaveta another kiss, “But like a best friend. But, yeah, that’s why she won’t get another cat on her own. She’s asked her father about it too, and he said that Brian said he didn’t do anything. And you know Brittany…she’s not going to press the issue and she’s begged me not to…Although…” Lowering her voice, she pleaded, “Promise me, baby, you won’t tell anyone else this…”

“You know I won’t, szereto.” Elizaveta swore. “You can tell me anything.”

Angie kissed Elizaveta and continued her tale, “The last time Brittany told me that her dad had gotten her a cat—it was last year, before we met, I put in an anonymous call to the animal abuse hotline when she told me it went missing, and they sent someone to take a look. Nothing happened though.” She sighed, “They couldn’t find any evidence. Whatever that little monster’s doing to those poor animals, he’s smart enough and sneaky enough to cover his tracks, and that scares me even more.”

“Damn.” Elizaveta swore. “That sucks.”

“Yeah.” Angie swore and took a deep breath, “If that brat doesn’t get help soon, I’m afraid he’s going to move up from torturing and killing small animals to big animals to people. Wiping a tear from her eye, she said to her girlfriend in a soft voice, “Now we come to one of the sad parts of the story. That was when Mom got the phone call…”

 

_**Lawndale about Six Years Ago** _

“Doing your homework, dear?” Jessica asked as she noticed her daughter hunched over the kitchen table with a math book open.

“Yeah, Mom.” Angie replied. “I got a math test tomorrow and I can’t figure these word problems out.”

“Well…let me have a look.” Jessica said as she looked over her daughter’s shoulder, “Maybe I can help.” Reading over the problem, the young mother smiled, “I think I see what you’re doing wrong. Try doing this…” She suggested as she went over the word problem with her little girl. “Do you see how it works now?”

“I think I got it now.” Angie smiled as the phone rang.

After her mother picked up her phone, Angie saw her face turn white. Then she heard her cry out as she shook her head, “Oh no…when? Where? Are you sure? Lawndale Cedars? I’m on my way.” Turning to her daughter, Jessica urged in a panicky voice, “C’mon and get your coat dear. We have to go to the hospital. Your daddy’s hurt.”

“What happened Momma?” Angie, now trembling with fear, pleaded, “He’s going to be all right—isn’t he?”

“I hope so, dear.” Jessica replied as she helped her daughter with her coat, “I need you to be my brave little girl, ok? Now, c’mon let’s go.”

Running into the hospital while holding her little girl’s hand, Jessica approached the nurses’ station. “Jessica Harmon.” She announced, “My husband was brought here. He was in an auto accident.”

Looking at the list of new arrivals, the nurse quickly spotted Jack Harmon’s name. “Come this way, Mrs. Harmon. Then, looking down at Angie, she asked, “Is she your daughter?”

“Yes.” Jessica replied, “Please…” She begged, “Take me to my husband.”

“This way, Ma’am.” The nurse directed as she escorted Jessica and Angie to the critical care ward. Reaching the waiting area, she instructed, “Wait here. The doctor will be here to see you shortly. He can fill you in on your husband’s condition.” Her lips then turned up in a warm smile, “Can I get you some coffee or maybe a soda for your daughter?”

“Yes, please.” Jessica replied as she sat down in one of the chairs with Angie taking the seat next to her. Moments later, the nurse brought her a cup of coffee with a packet of non-dairy creamer and another of sugar and one packet of sugar substitute. She also handed Angie a can of soda. “The doctor should be here soon, Ma’am. If you need anything, the nurses’ station is right over here.”

“Thank you.” Jessica sighed as she took a sip of her coffee, too nervous right now to add cream and sugar. “Is there a phone I can use? I need to call my brother’s sister.”

“Sure.” The nurse replied as she escorted mother and daughter to a courtesy phone. “Here.”

“Ellie? It’s Jessica. No…Jack was in an accident. We’re at the hospital now—me and Angie. Yeah, Lawndale Cedars. No…we don’t know anything yet—we just got here. Can you come? Thank you. Yeah…I got your cell number. I’ll let you know if anything happens. Love you too. I will. Thanks and bye.” Kneeling down, she gave her daughter a tight hug, “That was from me and your Aunt Ellie.” Jessica said as she brushed back a tear. “Your Aunt Ellie’s coming over. Depending on what happens, she might take you home with her to spend the night. Will that be ok?”

“Yes, Momma.” Angie replied and then pleaded, “Daddy’s going to be ok—isn’t he?”

“I hope so, darling.” Jessica cried as she hugged her daughter again.

The doctor came in to the waiting room soon after with a policeman by his side. “Mrs. Harmon?”

“Yes?” Jessica stood up, her heart racing as she saw the somber look on the doctor’s face, “My husband?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Harmon.” The doctor said in a soft, sad voice, “We did all we could, but his injuries were just too extensive. He passed away a few minutes ago.”

“Jack!” Jessica sobbed as she knelt down and hugged her daughter.

“Where’s Daddy, Momma?” Angie pleaded, “Why are you crying?”

“Daddy’s gone to Heaven, my baby.” Jessica cried, “He’s with your grandmother Ruth and granddaddy Frank now.”

“No!” Angie cried, “I want my Daddy!”

After several minutes of crying, during which Aunt Ellie came and, after being filled in on what happened, joined her sister-in-law and niece in crying as well, the police officer came over and placed a gentle hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “Ma’am? I’m sorry, but I need to ask you a few questions.”

“All right, Officer.” Jessica sniffled as the policeman handed her a tissue. “What do you need to know?”

“Could you please tell me your husband’s occupation?”

“He was an architect.” She replied, “Sometimes he had to travel to consult with a client. He was on his way back from Leeville. How did it happen?” She pleaded.

Taking a deep breath, the officer replied, “Mr. Harmon was hit in a head-on collision by a man driving on the wrong side of the road. Alcohol was involved—the other driver had been drinking. His injuries were superficial. He’s been arrested and is now in custody.”

“Good.” Jessica answered back in a low voice, “I hope you throw the book at the bastard.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The police officer replied in a soft voice, “Again, please accept my condolences. I’m sure the state attorney’s office will want to contact you later.”

“Anything I can do to help make sure that that son of a bitch who killed my husband never drives again, just let me know.” 

“Mrs. Harmon?” The doctor cleared his throat, “I’m sorry to intrude, but there’s some paperwork and other arrangements that we need your help with.”

“It’s ok, dear.” Ellie said as she hugged Jessica and then Angie, “You go on and take care of what you need to take care of. I’ll look after Angie while you’re getting that done.”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“I’m so sorry, szereto.” Elizaveta said as she hugged Angie, gently wiping her girlfriend’s tears away with her finger. “Are you sure you want to go on?”

Sighing as she gave Elizaveta a kiss, Angie replied, “Yeah. I want you to know all about me—and that includes the bad and painful stuff.” She then continued her story, “A few days later, we had the funeral…”

 

_**Lawndale about Six Years Ago** _

“Ashes to ashes…dust to dust…” As the graveside service was completed, Angie, dressed in black, received a comforting hug from her best friend.

“I’m sorry, Angie.” Brittany sobbed, “I wish I knew what to say.”

“It’s ok, Brittany.” Angie replied through her tears, “I’m just glad you’re here.”

“I’m your best friend.” Brittany’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “I’m always going to be there for you—that’s what best friends do for each other.”

After everyone, including the Taylors, had offered their condolences for Jessica’s loss, the family entered the funeral home’s limousine for the return trip. Some time later, family and friends were gathered at the Harmon home.

“What are you going to do now?” Vivian Taylor asked Jessica.

“I’m going to sell the house and look for something smaller.” Jessica replied as she daubed the tears from her eyes. “This house is too big for me and Angie alone and…I see Jack everywhere.” Sniffling, she said, “I’m going to have to look for a job too. I’m putting most of Jack’s life insurance money into a college fund for Angie. While he left us enough to keep us going for quite a while, I need to find something to keep me going.”

“I understand.” Vivian smiled, “If there’s anything we can do for you…just let us know.”

“Thanks, Vivian.” Jessica’s lips turned up in a wan smile. “I appreciate it.” She then called out to her daughter who was talking to Angie, “Brittany! We need to go home now.”

“Ok, Mom!” The pretty young blonde answered back, “I’m just saying goodbye to Angie now.” Giving her best friend one more hug, Brittany said her goodbyes, “I gotta go now, but if you need me for anything…”

“Thanks, Brittany.” Angie smiled back, “You’re the best friend ever.”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“Brittany was with me throughout the months after Dad died.” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile, “Whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to just listen to me vent, she was there. Don’t get me wrong…” Angie explained as she dropped another grape into Elizaveta’s mouth while she played with her girlfriend’s hair, “Mom was there for me too and so was Aunt Ellie, but Mom was having to deal not only with Dad passing on, but also with selling the house, buying the house we’re in now, getting Dad’s affairs settled, and finding a job. But Brittany was always there. Even if she didn’t always know what to say, she knew what to do—which was mostly letting me use her as a crying towel or a punching bag. I probably wouldn’t have gotten through this without her.”

“I’m glad she was there for you.” Elizaveta said as she smiled up at her girlfriend.

“Yeah…” Angie sighed, “But a few years later, everything changed for Brittany. Me and Mom went away for a few weeks for summer vacation—we went to spend some time with her brother and sister’s families—and we’d just gotten back when Brittany called and said she needed to talk to me…”

 

_**Lawndale about Three Years Ago** _

“Angie!” Brittany sobbed as she fell in her friend’s arms. “Thank God you’re back! I’ve been going crazy!”

“What happened, Brittany?” Angie asked as she led her friend to the couch. 

“Mommy’s gone! She left us and told Dad she wanted a divorce.” The young blonde whimpered, “She got into a big fight with Dad and told him that she couldn’t take dealing with Brian anymore and that he had to either send him off to get some help or she was going to Hollywood to restart her career!”

“Didn’t your father try to stop her or get Brian help like she wanted him to do?” Angie gently inquired. “God knows Brian needs it.” Angie said to herself.

“No…” Brittany shook her head, “He just said goodbye and don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.”

“Damn.” Angie swore in a low voice, “That’s cold. Doesn’t he know Brian’s sick and needs help?”

“Yeah.” Brittany nodded her head, “But he doesn’t want it to get out because he just got accepted into the country club at Crewe’s Nest and he just got made partner at the ad agency he works for so he doesn’t want a scandal.”

“And Brian growing up to become a serial killer wouldn’t be a scandal.” Angie bitterly remarked.

“Oh no!” Brittany cried out, “Please don’t say stuff like that, Angie!”

“I’m sorry, Britt.” Angie apologized, giving her friend another hug, “So…go on…tell me what happened after that.”

“Well…Mom left and a few weeks later filed for divorce, but it didn’t matter because she was killed in an auto accident in LA.” Brittany sobbed. “They say she was driving too fast and blew a curve.”

“I’m so sorry, Brittany.” Angie consoled, as her tears joined those of her best friend’s. “I wish I could have been there for you.”

“You’re here for me now…” Brittany managed a shaky grin, “…and that’s good enough for me.”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“Her grades began slipping after that.” Angie recounted, “But not so much that anyone took notice at first except for a few teachers. Her dad didn’t care what grades she made and started buying her anything she wanted to make her happy. They say money can’t buy love…” Angie quipped in a slightly bitter voice, “…but it sure helped in the case of Brittany. Of course, it caused her to slack off even more, causing her grades to drop even lower. She no longer came to me for help with her social studies like she used to. Also, puberty hit, changing everything for us. We were both early bloomers up top and, in the hips,” Angie cracked a grin, “So the boys began paying attention to us pretty early. I wasn’t too interested in them because…you know…gay…it was about then that I first noticed I liked girls…”

 

_**Lawndale about Two Years Ago** _

“See what Daddy got me!” Brittany exclaimed as she twirled a lock of golden hair. “It’s a new bracelet! Isn’t it pretty?”

“Yeah, Britt.” Angie smiled as she greeted her old friend, “Are you ready for Mr. Cullen’s civics test?”

“I…think so…” Brittany put her index finger on her chin. “The three branches of government…judgical…logarithmic…and executioner…”

Sighing, Angie gently corrected, “Judicial, legislative, and executive, Brittany. You know Mr. Cullen wants the answers to be perfect—he even takes off if you misspell a word. Didn’t you study at all?”

“No.” Brittany shook her head, “Ashley-Amber—you know—Dad’s new wife—took me shopping in the mall. We went to Cashmans and she bought me a dress and new shoes—I’m gonna wear them on my date with Ricky tonight.” She then smiled, “You know…Ricky knows a boy that you’d love. He’s handsome and he’s got the prettiest blue eyes…”

Just then, an attractive curly-haired girl with red hair walked past the two blondes. As her eyes fell on the new girl, Angie, much to her surprise felt her heart beating faster as she took in her lean body, pert breasts, and creamy white skin. Lost in that young girl’s charms, Brittany’s words faded until Angie heard her name called out.

“Angie? Are you all right?” A concerned Brittany asked.

“Yeah.” Angie let out a breath of air as she recovered, “You were talking about…”

“Ummm…Ricky’s got a friend that would be perfect for you, Angie. He’s good looking and well…you wanna double date with us this weekend?”

“Yeah.” Angie replied, nodding her head, “Sounds good.”

“Great!” Brittany squealed, “I’ll talk to Ricky and get it set up. See ya later!”

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“I take it that date went off about as well as ours with Mark and Derek did.” Elizaveta quipped as Angie dropped a grape in her open mouth.

“Yeah.” Angie laughed as she stroked Elizaveta’s hair. “The boys kept asking me out and I’d go on a few dates…but…like I told you a while back, nothing happened. While that was going on, I was crushing over that red-headed girl who only had eyes for Joey.”

“Must have been rough for you…” Elizaveta commiserated as she munched on her grape.

Nodding her head, Angie responded, “Yeah. Middle school wasn’t my favorite time, but it wasn’t all bad. Mom got her job at Cashmans—helluva a lot better than that dead-end job she had at J. J. Jeeters, and I really started getting into science fiction and fantasy and mysteries and me and Brittany were on the pep squad and were looking forward to trying out for the cheerleading squad the next year at high school.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Angie said, “Our freshman year…that’s when Kevin makes his appearance and we get the Brittany we have now.”

 

_**Lawndale: Last Year** _

Angie, along with the rest of the new freshman class at Lawndale High sat in an auditorium, barely listening as the stern-faced Asian principal welcomed them to the school, and then warned them of the consequences of improper behavior, finally ending by encouraging the students to work for, “…the greater glory of Lawwwnnnndale High.”

“See him?” Brittany whispered, as the next speaker, a whiny man with brownish hair who constantly talked about the students being in touch with their emotional selves took the podium. “That boy there?” She said, pointing to a dark-haired boy wearing a white t-shirt with a cartoon character and the caption ‘Hey Kids!’ on it. “I think he’s cute.” Her lips then turned up in an impish grin as she twirled a lock of hair, “If he doesn’t have a girlfriend now—he will soon.” She then looked at Angie, “You’re not going after him—are you?”

“No.” Angie shook her head, her lips turning up in an amused grin, “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“I knew I didn’t.” Brittany smiled, “You’re my best friend. You’d never take my boyfriend away.”

After the assembly had ended, Brittany practically dragged Angie to where the boy was standing, talking with Mack as Jodie did her best to ignore their conversation.

“So…Mack Daddy…you gonna try out for the football team?” The dark-haired boy asked, his face reflecting both total innocence and stupidity.

“Kevin…please…” Mack pleaded, “Don’t call me Mack Daddy. My name is Mack.”

“Ok, bro.” Kevin responded with a big child-like grin.

“Hi!” Brittany called out introducing herself with a sunny smile, “I’m Brittany and this is my friend Angie, we’re gonna be cheerleaders.”

“Cool!” Kevin grinned, “That means we can date ‘cause I’m gonna be the QB and it’s in the rules that football players and cheerleaders have to date each other.”

On hearing that, both Mack and Angie rolled their eyes as Jodie chuckled under her breath.

“So…” Kevin grinned as he looked at Brittany, “Wanna go out after I make the football team and you make the cheerleader squad?”

“Yeah!” Brittany smiled and then asked in a squeaky voice, “Buy me a soda?”

“Sure, babe.” Kevin beamed as the pair headed off together with Angie, Jodie, and Mack all shaking their heads in unison.

“Well there they go…” Angie joked, “Lawndale’s dream couple.”

“So…how long do you give them?” Jodie asked.

“They’ll probably still be together when we graduate.” Mack quipped.

Angie sighed. “She’s had so many bad breaks the past couple of years.”

“I don’t know…” Mack replied, “Maybe he’ll be good for her.”

“Your lips to God’s ears.” Angie quipped.

“Hell. Those two will probably be breaking up and getting back together so often that we can start a pool on it.” Jodie remarked, only half joking.

“I just hope he doesn’t end up hurting her even more than she’s been hurt already.” Angie said in a low voice as she fingered the lucky coin her father had given her so long ago.

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

“So that’s how Lawndale’s dream couple got its start.” Elizaveta chuckled as Angie dropped another grape in her mouth.

“Yep.” Angie grinned. “And sure enough, they’d fight and break up and get back together again just like they do now. Well, as you already know, Kevin and Mack both made the football team with Kevin the backup quarterback for his first year until the starter got injured and Coach Gibson put him in. Turns out the team actually wins when he’s QB—go figure.” She chuckled, “Me and Brittany, along with Lisa and Nikki, made the cheerleader squad and I joined the dance club. Then, a few months later, Brittany dropped a bombshell on me…”

 

_**Lawndale: Last Year** _

“Angie!” Brittany exclaimed enthusiastically as she ran towards her old friend after they got out of Mr. DeMartino’s class. “You’ll never guess what me and Kevvy did!”

“Did you two break up again?” Angie asked as the pair walked down the hall.

“No!” Brittany vigorously shook her head, “We did it!”

“Did what?” Angie asked as she guided her friend to the girls’ room so that they could have some privacy.

“We did IT!” Brittany proudly stated, “In the backseat of his jeep last night!”

Sighing in disbelief, Angie covered her face with her palm, “Brittany…tell me you used protection at least.”

“Protection?” Brittany asked innocently as she twirled a lock of hair with her fingers.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “You know…a condom…a rubber…” 

“Oh no!” Brittany shook her head, “That would have ruined the moment! It would have taken all the romance away! I didn’t want it to be planned—I wanted it to just happen.

Sighing in disbelief, the platinum-blonde asked, “Remember health class last year when Ms. Richards talked about sex?”

“Yeah.” Brittany nodded her head.

“Remember what she said could happen if you don’t use protection?” Again seeing a vapid look in her friend’s eyes, Angie shook her head, “You could get pregnant.”

“We only did it once!” Brittany protested.

“Once is all it takes, Brittany.” Angie replied and then let out a breath of air, “Do me a favor? I want you to promise me—and we’re going to pinky-swear like we used to do when we were kids so you gotta keep your promise, ok?”

“Ok.” Brittany answered back as she twirled her hair.

“I want you to go to Ashley-Amber when you get home from school and ask her to make an appointment with a doctor so that you can get birth control pills and I want you to take them when you’re supposed to. Ok?”

“Ok, Angie…” Brittany promised.

“Pinky-swear?” Angie insisted as she held out her pinky.

“Pinky-swear.” Brittany agreed as they locked their pinkies together and Brittany promised she’d do what Angie had asked.

“Good.” Angie nodded her head, “Don’t forget, Brittany. Right when you get home from school and I want you to call me and tell me when your appointment is and I want to see the pills to be sure you’ve got them. And no doing it with Kevin until you get those pills and the doctor says it’s ok…pinky swear.”

“Do I have to?” Brittany protested.

“Yes.” Angie declared as she held out her pinky, “Pinky swear.”

“Ok.” Brittany grumbled as she locked her pinky with her best friend’s and swore.

 

_**Lawndale: The Morgendorffer Home, the Present** _

Sighing as Elizaveta got up and scooched up close to her, Angie said in a low voice as she caressed her girlfriend’s cheek, “That’s why I want us to wait until we’re ready, baby. I want our first time to be special.” She whispered as she nuzzled Elizaveta’s neck, “I don’t want it to be in the back seat of a car or in a broom closet or laundry room or a sleazy motel room.” Kissing her girlfriend tenderly on the lips she whispered, “I want us to have a romantic candlelight dinner at Chez Pierre, and then dancing at Alessandro’s, and then I want rose petals on the floor from the front door to the bedroom and I want rose petals on the bed and soft candlelight in the bedroom with sensuous jazz music playing low. I want us to wear those sexy nighties we got and I want it to be slow and gentle. I want to get to know every inch of you and I want you to get to know every inch of me. Is that all right with you?”

“Yes, szereto. That sounds perfect to me.” Elizaveta smiled as she kissed Angie on the lips, their kiss deep and passionate as tongues met and explored. The couple continued to kiss until the front door opened revealing Quinn with Daria and Jane close behind her.

“Ewwww….” Quinn exclaimed, making a face as her eyes registered on the kissing couple on the couch.

Breaking from their kiss, Elizaveta chuckled, “What, Quinn? You’ve never seen two girls kissing before?” She then kissed Angie again as Quinn dashed up to her room.

“Get a room you two.” Daria snarked as Jane smirked.

“Aww…Daria…Don’t they make a cute couple?”

Finally breaking from their liplock, Elizaveta chuckled, “Walk you to your car, szereto?”

“Yeah.” Angie grinned as the pair got up and made their way to the front door. “See you later Daria…Jane.” Angie said as she and Elizaveta walked out the door hand in hand to her car.

“Thank you, szereto.” Elizaveta said in a soft voice, “For telling me your story.”

“Maybe one day when you get your memory back.” Angie smiled back at her lover as she gave her a goodnight kiss, “You can tell me yours—or—if you want to—you make up a story to tell me until then. I love stories.”

“I will then.” Elizaveta smiled as she returned Angie’s kiss. “Until tomorrow, szereto.”

“Until tomorrow, baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is something of an intermission and a character story for Angie--I wanted to fill in important background information about her and Brittany and thought the idea of framing it as her telling Elizaveta about her life in a quiet, romantic, relaxed setting was appropriate. In the next part we'll see some of Elizabeth Shelby beginning to come out in Elizaveta as she and Angie deal with the events of "Lab Brat." I like the idea of Brittany and Angie being close friends from an early age. Angie genuinely cares about Brittany, even though she gets frustrated with her sometimes and we'll see that in the next part and in a few upcoming parts as well. Also, I'll admit to bucking the stereotype of cheerleaders being dumb. The cheerleaders I knew in high school (and I went to a public school) all carried B averages or higher, took honors and A.P. courses, and were involved in several activities and extracurriculars other than cheerleading. They were anything but dumb, promiscuous airheads. I've tried to retain canon as far as the Taylors and all are concerned, although remember it is an AU--it became one the moment Elizaveta entered the scene. Regarding Brian--the Daria database does indicate that he is one sick little boy who needs help. I've brought Kevin in late as well because it does work better plot-wise and I don't think it's too far off the mark. Neither the show nor the books indicate exactly when Kevin came on the scene, and his father is still obsessed with him getting a football scholarship and everything else as goes in canon. Again, I hope people are enjoying this story.


	12. Mutually Assured Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the events of "Lab Brat", Elizaveta, Angie, and the rest of the cheerleaders come up with a plan to make sure Upchuck never attempts to blackmail Brittany or any other girl ever again.

“That slimy…rotten…sleazy…” Angie fumed as she picked Elizaveta up at the Morgendorffer house for another day of school.

“What happened, szereto?” Elizaveta asked, her voice etched with concern.

“Brittany called me last night.” Angie, forcing herself to calm down as the pair got in the car, replied, letting out a breath of air. “It was too late to call you about it and…I was so angry once I heard about what Upchuck did to her…”

“What did that seggfej do?” Elizaveta gently inquired.

“Remember Ms. Barch’s science project with the mouse? The one we got an A on and where Kevin was partnered with Daria and Brittany with Upchuck?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Daria distracted Kevin from bothering her by aiming him at the Pigskin Channel, while Quinn made an ass out of herself trying to get his attention. Brittany got jealous at both of them and stole Daria’s mouse and apparently Brian got hold of it and terrorized it…”

“Right.” Angie nodded her head, “What you didn’t know and that Brittany told me about last night was that Upchuck was blackmailing her into being his slave for a week.”

“What?!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “What did he make her do? Did he try to…”

“No.” Angie shook her head, “Nothing like that. It was more him making her do a lot of gofer stuff—fetch him stuff from the store…run odd jobs…that sort of thing. Thing is…he could have asked for more and…if he’s not stopped—I’m afraid he will.”

“I see what you mean.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “What did he use to blackmail her with?”

“A photo.” Angie sighed, shaking her head, “She said it was with her and Sam Stack—the quarterback from Oakwood.”

“Did she get the photo and the negatives back?” Elizaveta asked and then shook her head, “No…it doesn’t matter if she did get the negatives back. He probably scanned them and put them on his hard drive and burnt them to cd’s for more backup.”

“Yeah.” Angie replied with a grimace, “That’s what I was thinking.”

“Well…’ Elizaveta declared, “When we get to school…we need to have a long talk with Brittany.”

“Right.”

 

As they entered the school, the Barbies found their friend making out with her boyfriend in front of his locker. Shaking their heads with amusement, they called out, “Hey, Kevin…Brittany!”

“Elizaveta…Angie!” Brittany called out in a cheerful voice, “Come on over…me and Kevvy are back together again!”

“That’s nice.” Angie smiled, “Britt…” she lowered her voice, “…we need to speak with you in private…ok?”

“Ok.” Brittany replied as she twirled a lock of hair.

“Mr. DeMartino’s classroom’s empty now.” Elizaveta stated as she turned her head towards the vacant classroom. “We should have a few minutes before he gets in.”

“Yeah…” Angie nodded her head as she gently urged Brittany towards the classroom, “He’s probably still on his first cup of coffee. He won’t be in until he’s had two or three.” Spotting Nikki near her locker, the platinum-blonde cheerleader motioned for her to come over. “Nikki? Can you keep an eye out and let us know if someone’s coming in. It’s kinda important we don’t get disturbed.”

“Sure, Angie.” The brunette cheerleader replied as she nonchalantly leaned against the wall next to the open classroom.

“C’mon, Britt.” Elizaveta directed as she and her girlfriend shepherded their fellow cheerleader into the classroom, navigating her to the rear where there would be less possibility of being overheard. Nodding her head in Angie’s direction, the young Hungarian signaled her lover to begin the discussion.

“Britt…” Angie took a deep breath, “I told Elizaveta what you told me last night.” Seeing the look of fear on her friend’s face, Angie quickly continued, “You can trust Elizaveta, Brittany. I trust her with…” Her lips turned up in a warm smile as she took her girlfriend’s hand in hers, “…my everything…so you can trust her too.”

“Angie’s right, Brittany. I’m your friend too. Can I ask you…” Elizaveta inquired in as gentle a tone as possible, “…did Upchuck give the photo and the negatives back to you?”

“He gave the photo back, but that was all.” Brittany replied, with a confused look on her face. “Why? Do you think he has more pictures?”

“Yeah.” Angie glumly nodded her head, “He’s got the negatives and he’s probably scanned them and saved them to his hard drive on his computer, so he can print out as many of them as he wants.”

“You mean he might…” Brittany’s eyes opened in alarm.

“There’s a good chance he will.” Angie grimly replied, “Unless we do something to stop him.”

“How?” Brittany asked.

“I think I have an idea…” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in an evil grin as she continued, “Angie…remember Mr. DeMartino’s last class when he was talking about the Cold War and how nuclear war was avoided?”

“Yeah.” Angie’s lips also turned up in a wicked smile, “Mutually Assured Destruction.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “We have to get something on Upchuck that’s so bad that if he won’t dare try to blackmail Brittany—or any of the rest of us—again.”

“So…how do we go about doing that?” Angie asked as Brittany silently followed the conversation, her face slowly beginning to show signs of hope.

“Brittany?” Elizaveta requeste4, “I need you to call an emergency meeting of the cheerleading squad tonight at my house. We can meet in my room. I’ve got the beginnings of a plan in my mind right now, I should have it set by the time of the meeting. Can you do that for us?”

“Yeah.” Brittany responded with a smile.

“Ok.” Elizaveta answered back, “Let’s make it for seven o’clock tonight.”

“Thanks!” Brittany grinned as she hugged both of her friends by the neck before dashing out of the classroom, “You two are the greatest.”

Watching as Brittany left the classroom, Angie gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek before asking, “So…baby…what’s that deliciously devious mind of yours cooking up?”

Her lips turning up in a slight smile that would have done Daria proud, Elizaveta replied, “You know the old saying…what’s good for the goose is good for the gander?”

“Yeah.” Angie grinned.

“Well…if this works, a certain gander is going to be a cooked goose.”

 

“Anya…Apa? The rest of the cheerleading squad will be coming over for an emergency meeting this evening.” Elizaveta announced at the dinner table where all the Morgendorffers were gathered. “Don’t worry about us taking up space—we’ll be meeting in my room.” 

“Is Brittany giving hair twirling lessons?” Daria quipped.

“There’s a time and place for sarcasm, Daria.” Elizaveta retorted in a grave tone that raised eyebrows. “Now’s not the time or the place.

“Sounds important dear.” Helen remarked as she took a drink of iced tea.

“It is, anya.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Angie’ll be bringing over Lisa and Nikki and Brittany’s coming with Clarise and Dani. We won’t be any trouble and no bother.”

“Of course you won’t.” Jake grinned as he got up from the table.

“Your friends are welcome here.” Helen smiled as she also rose from the table.

“Thanks.” Elizaveta replied as she and her siblings also finished their dinners.

Waiting until their blonde sibling and parents were out of earshot, Quinn muttered to her sister, “It’s not like Elizaveta to bite your head off like that.”

“Yeah.” Daria muttered back, “The Barbies and the rest of the bimbo squad must have something cooking and I intend to find out what.”

As soon as Daria and Quinn had retired up the stairs, Elizaveta lowered her voice, “Apa…Anya? I need to ask another favor of you.”

“What is it dear?” Helen asked, her eyebrows raised.

“I need to ask you to keep Daria and Quinn downstairs during our meeting.”

“Why?” Jake inquired.

“What’s so important that you can’t risk them overhearing, dear?” Helen asked.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Elizaveta answered back, “I’d rather not get too specific unless I have to, but…one of us needs our help and we’re trying to figure out the best way to help her.”

“Shouldn’t her parents be the ones to help her?” Helen persisted.

Shaking her head, Elizaveta responded, “They don’t care. Her father will pay off the person responsible for causing the problem and her step-mother doesn’t have a clue.”

“What sort of trouble has Brittany gotten herself into?” Helen interrogated, her lips turning up in a slight smile, “You told me just enough to deduce that the girl having the problem was Brittany and I think it’s because you wanted me and your father to know otherwise you’d have been a lot vaguer in your answer.”

“You’re right.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Brittany’s the one with the problem—and no—she’s not pregnant and she doesn’t have an STD.”

“So…what is the problem, Kiddo?” Jake asked.

“Someone took pictures of her in a bad situation and used them to blackmail her.” Elizaveta explained. “He didn’t demand anything sexual from her—but we’re afraid that one day he might.”

Nodding her head, Helen agreed, “You’re probably right, honey. Once a blackmailer gets their teeth into you it only gets worse. So…do you want me to step in?”

“No!” Elizaveta responded vehemently, shaking her head vigorously. “We cheerleaders have to take care of this ourselves. You see—he hurt one of us, so that means he hurt all of us.”

“I can understand you wanting to stand by your friend, Elizaveta.” Helen said in a sympathetic tone, “But that doesn’t mean that I can approve of you taking vigilante action.”

“We’re not going to do anything to physically hurt him.” Elizaveta assured, “But we have to be sure that he never does this to her or any of the rest of us again. If Mr. Taylor just pays him off, he’ll do it to someone else—maybe Angie or Daria or Quinn.” Closing her eyes and slowly opening them, she pleaded, “I didn’t have to let slip what was going on, but I wanted you to know because, well, if we don’t succeed, then…”

“Then you need a backup.” Helen concluded, her lips again turning up in a smile as she saw the look of steely determination in her young ward’s eyes. “All right. We’ll make sure that Daria and Quinn stay downstairs during your meeting. But—in exchange—I expect you to fill me in on everything once this is settled, and you have to promise me that no one—not even the blackmailer—gets hurt. So…if you’re planning on siccing the football team on him, Missy, give that up right now. I also reserve the right to punish you if I feel that you’ve gone too far.”

“He won’t be hurt.” Elizaveta replied, agreeing to her guardian’s terms. “And I take full responsibility for what happens. I’ll accept whatever punishment you feel necessary afterwards.”

“Fair enough.” Helen nodded her head. “Now…it might be a good idea for us to prepare some snacks and drinks for your guests—they should be here pretty soon.”

 

“C’mon in!” Elizaveta smiled as Angie, Brittany, and the other cheerleaders arrived at the Morgendorffer house. “Upstairs.” She directed, “My room’s on the left. I’ll bring up some sodas and snacks.”

“I’ll help you, baby.” Angie said with a smile as she picked up a small cooler while Elizaveta picked up a tray with a variety of snacks.

“Daria…Quinn!” Helen called out, “Come downstairs. Elizaveta and the cheerleaders want some privacy during their meeting.”

“Can’t she just close her door?” Quinn shouted back.

“Yeah.” Daria added, “I’m in the middle of something right now.”

“You can do what you have to do downstairs.” Helen countered, emphasizing her next words, “Get whatever you need and come down now!”

As Elizaveta and the cheerleaders walked up the stairs, they were met by Quinn and Daria both grumbling under their breath.

“I got a feeling you messed up their plans on snooping.” Angie whispered to her girlfriend.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta whispered back. “They don’t need to know what’s going on here anyway. This is cheerleader business.”

“Wow! This is your room, Elizaveta!” Brittany exclaimed as her eyes took in the Louis XIV décor—especially the panel bed. “I love the bed!” She exclaimed with a big smile on her face.

“I’ll bet Angie does too.” Nikki quipped, her lips turned up in a wicked grin.

“I’m taking the Fifth…” Angie joked back, blushing. 

“Right.” Elizaveta declared, getting down to business, “We’ve got important stuff to talk about.” Taking a deep breath she explained, “Those of you who have Ms. Barch with us know that she recently had us do a project where we had to run a mouse through a maze.”

“Yeah.” Nikki nodded her head. “You and Angie got A’s and me and Lisa pulled a B each.”

“I failed.” Brittany sobbed, “Because Upchuck made me do all that stuff for him! When Ms. Barch called for me to make my report, I didn’t know what to say.” Her eyes suddenly taking on a steely expression, she remarked in a grim voice, “At least Upchuck failed too.”

“And that’s why we’re here.” Angie interjected and then smiled encouragingly at her friend, “You can go ahead and tell them, Britt…we’re all your friends and we want to help.”

“Yeah.” The other cheerleaders announced in unison, “You can count on us.”

Taking a deep breath, the blonde cheerleader described her plight, “Upchuck took some bad pictures of me and threatened to show them to everyone if I didn’t do everything he said. He called me his slave for a week!” She cried, tears flowing down her face.

“Did he make you…” Nikki gasped in alarm.

“No.” Brittany shook her head, making a disgusted noise. “He only made me get stuff for him from the grocery and do stuff like catalog his porn collection and all.”

“The problem is…” Angie took over, “Upchuck still has the negatives and he’s probably also burned them to his hard drive and cd’s.”

“So, you think he might come back and make Brittany do some more stuff—maybe even worse than what he had her doing?” Lisa asked, her face also reflecting a mixture of disgust, shock, and alarm.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “There’s also no guarantee he doesn’t have pictures of any of the rest of us. I mean—Angie and I haven’t done anything we wouldn’t want anyone else to see, but I can’t speak for the rest of you. If you have done something that you don’t want anyone else to know about—you should be especially concerned.”

“Right.” Angie agreed, “We have to make sure Upchuck doesn’t do this to anyone of us ever again.”

“And we have to do it ourselves.” Elizaveta declared, “No help from the football team or anyone else. Someone messes with one of us—they mess with all of us.”

“Yeah!” All the cheerleaders vigorously responded. “No one messes with us!”

“So…what are we going to do about Upchuck?” Nikki asked.

“Brittany? Is there anything you saw when you were doing all that cataloguing that was weird—well, weirder than normal for Upchuck…” Elizaveta asked.

“Uhhhh…” Brittany thought for several moments and then exclaimed, “Yes! He had this doll…it was an inflatable woman without any clothes on and had…”

“Ok…Brittany…” Angie quickly interrupted, “…we get the picture and…Ewwww…” 

“So…what do we do?” Lisa asked.

Turning to Brittany, Elizaveta gave her a kindly smile, “Brittany…”

“You need me to go, don’t you?” Brittany interrupted, “You’re worried I might let slip out what you’re planning to do to Kevvy?” She nodded her head, “You’re right. I wouldn’t mean to do it, but I might do it by mistake. I understand. I know you’re my friends and I trust you. I’ll be downstairs—just yell when you’re ready for me to come back up.” She said, flashing a sweet smile as she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

“I hated to do that to her.” Elizaveta sighed mournfully, “But we can’t take any chances here because we only get one chance. We mess this up—Upchuck will retaliate by exposing Brittany and that’s one thing we can’t have happen.”

“So, what are we going to do, baby? Angie asked as the other cheerleaders quietly listened while sipping their sodas and munching on the snacks.

“First. Nikki…are your parents still taking off for the weekend?”

“Yeah.” The brunette flashed a wicked grin, “I was planning on having a party on Saturday. Why?”

“Good.” Elizaveta took a deep breath and exhaled, “I hate to ask this of you, but we need you to invite Upchuck to the party—it’s a big part of the plan. We need to be sure he’s off his guard.”

“Ok…I don’t like it, but I understand why we need to do it. So…how do I get him to come without it looking suspicious. He might be a creep.” Nikki declared, “But he’s not stupid.”

“You’re right, he isn’t.” Elizaveta agreed and then suggested, “Make up some excuse—have him help you with something like what Brittany did when she asked him to dissect her frog for her. Even though he knows it’s a simple return of a favor, his ego won’t permit him to say no.”

Sighing, the brunette responded, “All right…You know I wouldn’t do this except that it’s for Brittany. But—he’s not getting any of the good stuff and no one has to dance with him or treat him nice.”

“That works for me.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Now…the next part’s tricky. We need to make sure that Upchuck just doesn’t take off, and we need to do it without using force…”

“I still have some of that medicine they gave me when I had a cold.” Nikki said, “It won’t do anything to him but make him drowsy—is that good enough?”

“That should do.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “We just need him to be easy to control—not passed out.”

“That medicine will do it and the worst effect he’ll suffer from it is a good night’s sleep.” Nikki smirked, “I can spike his punch with it.”

“Good.” Elizaveta acknowledged, “That’s taken care of. Who else were you planning on inviting?”

“Hmmm…” Nikki began to call out several name, “…besides us…the football team, of course. There’s no way I could not invite them.” Seeing everyone nodding their heads, she continued, “Jodie…”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “Where Mack’s concerned she’s a package deal. Besides, she can be brought in on what we’re doing as can Mack.”

“Good point, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled. “Who else, Nikki?”

“I was thinking about Eddie and his friend…I’ve been hearing good things about her.”

“She’s good people.” Angie agreed. “We set her up with Eddie after Stacy dumped him.”

“That’s about it.” Nikki concluded.

“Great.” Elizaveta nodded her head approvingly. “We can bring Eddie and Jeanette in as well—they won’t squeal. Brittany will keep Kevin busy, and as for the rest of the football team…”

“I’ll just get my brother to buy a keg and we’ll stick it in the back yard.” Nikki declared, “That’ll take care of them.”

“All right!” Elizaveta smiled. “Next…Angie…this is where you and I come in. We’ll be arriving late to Nikki’s party because we’re taking a detour. We’re going to Upchuck’s. We’ll need to think of something to tell his parents so that we can get into where he’s keeping that doll.”

“Should be easy enough.” Angie replied with a wicked grin, “I remember that he liked doing magic tricks.”

“That’s right!” Lisa nodded her head in agreement, “He did a show in a talent contest in middle school, just before he started getting really creepy.”

Angie smirked, “We can just say that he forgot some stuff that he needs because he agreed to put on a show at the party. That should be the perfect cover.”

“Clarise…” Elizaveta then spoke to the red-headed cheerleader, “Remember the Cupid costume from that skit you guys in the drama club did last month?”

“Yeah.” Clarise responded with a grin. “That costume isn’t much more than a diaper and paper wings and a little bow and arrow. I think it’s still in storage.” 

“Good.” Elizaveta grinned as the pieces to her plan began to fall into place. “Now…here’s what we’re going to do…”

After she’d finished outlining her plan, Elizaveta asked, “Any questions?”

“Wow…if this works…” Nikki barely repressed a grin, “Upchuck won’t dare to do anything to any of us ever again.”

“Yeah.” Lisa nodded her head approvingly before cautioning, “There’s still lots of room for stuff to go wrong though.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “We’ve got to get our timing just right and we’ve got to be careful that the worst thing that Upchuck gets from the night is embarrassment when we confront him.”

“It’ll work.” Angie declared with full confidence in her girlfriend. 

“All right then.” Elizaveta grinned, “We do it this weekend.” She then turned to her lover, “Szereto? Could I ask you to go down and get Brittany and ask her to join us?”

“Sure thing, baby.” Angie smiled as she left the room.

As Brittany entered the room, Elizaveta pressed a soda in her hand and asked her to join her and Angie sitting on the bed. “It’s all taken care of, Britt.” The young Hungarian grinned. “When we’re done, Upchuck’s not going to mess with you or any of the rest of us again.”

“Thank you.” Brittany replied as she twirled a lock of her hair, then, noticing the picture of the starship hanging on the wall, exclaimed, “Wow! I just noticed that! Yours is just like the one hanging in Angie’s room!”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied with a smile. “We got them from the same gift shop where we got our bracelets.”

“They’re…different.” Nikki noted, “It’s almost seems they’re more like photographs than paintings.”

“Yeah.” Clarise nodded her head in agreement. “Whoever did those paintings really put a lot of work into them. You’d almost think they were real.”

For some reason, as she gazed at the picture of the _Sutherland_ , Elizaveta’s lips once again turned up in a winsome smile as she recalled the faces from her recent vision. She knew those faces—knew that they were friends and…in a very real way…family.

“You ok, baby?” Angie asked as she gently tapped her girlfriend on the shoulder. “You kinda zoned out on us for a bit.”

“Yeah.” Nikki nodded her head, “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Elizaveta took a deep breath and exhaled. “Just…” She smiled, “Happy I’m with my szereto and my friends.”

“Aww…” Brittany smiled as she gave Elizaveta, Angie, and the other cheerleaders hugs. “We’re all friends forever!”

“And I’m happy I’m with you, baby.” Angie whispered as she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

 

“Thanks for your help on that math problem.” Nikki, cringing inwardly, said to the freckle-faced red headed boy sitting next to her in Ms. Bennett’s class. Taking a deep breath, she forced the next words out of her mouth. “I’d like to show my appreciation to you by…”

“Yes…” Upchuck leered, almost causing the brown-haired cheerleader to turn and walk away.

Reminding herself that this was for Brittany, Nikki took a deep breath and continued, “I’m having a party this weekend…you’re invited.”

Surprised at being granted a second invitation to a party by a cheerleader, Upchuck replied in an unctuous voice, “Why thank you fair lady…I will be happy to attend your soiree.”

“Saturday at seven.” Nikki exhaled, “See you then.”

Later on, as she passed Elizaveta and Angie standing in front of their lockers, Nikki nodded her head once and stated in low voice, “He’s coming,” receiving nods from her fellow cheerleaders in return.

Watching the byplay between the cheerleaders, Jane muttered to her friend, “The Barbies are up to something.”

“Not just the Barbies.” Daria replied, “All the cheerleaders. They had a closed-door meeting in Elizaveta’s room last night.”

“So…what did you find out?”

“Nothing.” Daria shook her head glumly, “Mom made me and Quinn stay downstairs during the meeting and I can’t get a word out of Elizaveta.”

“So…” Jane smirked as she noticed Brittany standing next to Kevin, “There’s always Brittany.”

“Not this time.” Daria answered back with a frown. “They sent Brittany down too. Probably to make sure she didn’t leak.”

“That step-sister of yours is sneaky and smart.” Jane noted approvingly.

“Yeah.” Daria nodded her head, “She’s covered herself well. I can’t get anything out of Mom or Dad—I couldn’t even bribe them.”

“Damn1” Jane exclaimed, “I guess we’ll have to find out when everyone else does.” Jane sighed.

“I guess so.” Daria glumly replied.

Later, after history class had ended, Lisa came up to Elizaveta and reported in a low voice, “Got the costume.”

“Great.” Elizaveta whispered back. “Now, all we have to do is keep our mouths shut and wait until Saturday.”

 

“Come in…Charles…” Nikki gritted her teeth as she allowed the redheaded boy into her house. “Here’s some punch for you.” She said as she handed him a glass of spiked punch. 

“Thanks fair lady.” Upchuck leered as he entered the house and took a sip of the drink. “This has a unique flavor…like rum.”

“Yeah.” Nikki answered back, smoothly lying, “I found a flavor additive—you know—the syrups they use for coffee and all—and added that to the punch. I thought it would give it more flavor.”

“It certainly does.” Upchuck grinned, swallowing the fib.

“Let me know if you want more.” Nikki offered, “I’m going to see to my guests.” Walking quickly over to where Lisa and Brittany were standing, the brunette cheerleader groaned, “I hated every second of that. He makes my skin crawl.”

“Think it’ll do it?” Lisa asked.

“Yeah.” Nikki nodded her head, “It won’t put him out, but he’ll be so drowsy that he won’t care what we do to him.”

“I wonder how Elizaveta and Angie are doing?” Brittany inquired as she twirled a lock of hair.

“I hope they’re doing ok.” Lisa remarked, “Right now, everything hinges on them getting that thing.”

 

Shortly after Elizaveta had rang the doorbell, a slightly plump woman with ginger hair opened the front door. “Yes? I’m sorry, but if you’re fundraising for the school, we’re not interested.” She abruptly stated and began to close the door as Angie quickly spoke.

“Mrs. Ruttheimer? We’re…schoolmates of Charles. He asked us to pick up some of his magic supplies for a show he’s doing at our friend Nikki’s party tonight.” 

“Oh!” Mrs. Ruttheimer replied with a pleased look on her face. “Chucky loves his magic. Come in…he keeps all his stuff in his room…I’ll show you the way.”

“Thanks, Ma’am.” Elizaveta replied as the woman invited the two cheerleaders into her house and guided them to her son’s room. As she opened the door, a male voice called out, “Martha? Can you come here for a moment?”

“Ok, Hon!” Mrs. Ruttheimer called back. “He keeps everything in the closet.” She said to the two girls, “You go ahead and get what you need while I see to my husband.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Ruttheimer.” Angie grinned. Waiting until the woman was safely out of earshot, she whispered into her girlfriend’s ear, “Brittany said that he kept that thing in the back of the closet.”

“Good.” Elizaveta said as she put on a pair of disposable gloves. “No way I’m touching that thing with my bare hands.” She said as she rooted around in the closet until finding what she sought. Seeing an empty box, she put the uninflated doll in the box and closed it. “Okay. Now all we have to do is walk out.”

Passing by Charles’ mother, Angie called out, “Thanks again, Mrs. Ruttheimer. We’ll see ourselves out.”

“Ok, dears.” Mrs. Ruttheimer answered back, “Tell Chucky to have a good time and behave himself.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Both girls answered in unison as they exited the house, closing the door behind them.

“Let’s get to the party.” Elizaveta said as she and Angie got in their car. “If all goes well, it shouldn’t be much longer before Upchuck’s zoned out enough for us.”

“Either that, or Nikki and Lisa will have killed him.” Angie laughed.

“Right now…” Elizaveta quipped, “Either way works for me.”

 

“I see the party’s going full blast.” Angie grinned as she and Elizaveta, hand-in-hand, entered their friend’s house. Seeing Nikki talking to Clarise, the platinum-blonde cheerleader called out, “Hey Nikki!”

“Hey, Angie…Elizaveta!” Nikki responded as she and Clarise joined the two blondes, handing a glass of punch to each of them. “It’s virgin punch.” She clarified, “Figured you’d want to stay sober—at least until we’re done with taking care of Upchuck.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement, smirking at the sound of raucous shouting and horseplay going on from the backyard. “Sounds like the football team discovered the keg.”

“They didn’t waste any time getting to it.” Nikki laughed, “Be glad you’re in here and not out there.”

“Kevin’s singing again.” Angie chortled as the other girls laughed.

“So…” Elizaveta asked, “Where’s Upchuck?”

“Over there…” Nikki grimaced, “Hitting up on Dani. She’s humoring him the best she can, but she’s running out of patience.”

“Is that cough medicine having any effect?” Angie asked.

“Yeah.” Clarise nodded her head, “He’s starting to nod off. Shouldn’t be much longer.”

Just then, Lisa brought over Jodie and Mack along with Eddie and Jeanette. “Nikki and Lisa filled us in on what you’re planning on doing.” Jodie declared, “Normally, I’d be against this, but Lisa and Nikki made a good point about having to stop him now.”

“Right.” Jeanette agreed, “If Upchuck gets away with doing what he did to Brittany, he’ll only want to do it again—maybe to another girl.”

“And next time, he won’t be asking her to just fetch and carry for him.” Eddie grimly concluded.

“So…what do you want us to do?” Mack asked.

“Mack…” Elizaveta directed, assuming the leadership role, “…your job is to do what you normally do…ride herd on the football team.” She further explained, “We’re not really worried about what Kevin will do if he finds out—we can distract him easy enough…but some of the other guys…”

“Will see it as the perfect excuse to beat up on Upchuck.” Mack nodded his head and then ruefully confessed, “I’ve got to admit, I’m awfully tempted to take a swing at him myself.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head in understanding, “But you’re not. And that’s the difference between you and the J’s for instance. You can control your temper—they can’t or won’t.”

“Exactly.” Elizaveta agreed and then turned to Eddie and Jeanette. “We might need to ask you two to help us in making sure the more wasted of those guys sucking up beer around the keg don’t try to drive home.”

“I collected keys.” Nikki declared, her eyes falling to a bowl containing assorted car keys. “But that doesn’t mean one of them might not decide to just take off without no one noticing.”

“We can manage that.” Jeanette agreed. “Anything else you want us to do?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied. “We’re going to need someone to make sure Upchuck makes it home again.” She then turned to Jodie. “We’re going to need you to drive Upchuck’s car back while Eddie and Jeanette carry him back home and see that he makes it back ok.”

“You can ride back with us or Mack can meet us…whichever you want to do.” Eddie interjected.

“Why don’t we all meet back here to help clean up.” Mack suggested.

“I’d appreciate that.” Nikki grinned in thanks. “Most of the cleanup will be in the backyard, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Oh…” Elizaveta quickly interjected, “One other thing, Jodie. We need to ask that you-along with Jeanette and Eddie—kind of act as a referees.”

“What do you mean?” The young African-American inquired as both Eddie and Jeanette listened intently.

“Us cheerleaders are too closely involved in this.” Elizaveta declared. “I don’t want things going too far. The idea is to make sure that Upchuck never repeats this—not to utterly destroy him. We need you three to be there to tell us to stop if it looks like it’s getting out of hand.”

“That’s also why you’re keeping Daria out of this.” Jodie nodded her head sagely.

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Daria would want to go for the kill and utterly humiliate him. That’s what we don’t want. We want to give him an out where he’s not totally shamed. All he has to do is promise to not do this again to anyone else and we’ll keep quiet.”

“Good thinking.” Jeanette agreed as both Jodie and Eddie nodded their heads in consent, “We’ll be your referees, but you’ve got to promise to put on the brakes when we tell you to.”

“We promise.” Angie announced as Elizaveta and the other cheerleaders nodded their heads in agreement.

“Ok, we’re all set then.” Elizaveta declared, with a slight grin on her face as she noticed that Upchuck was beginning to show signs of nodding off. “Shouldn’t be much longer now.” Turning to Nikki, she asked, “You have a bicycle pump? I don’t know about the rest of you, but there’s no way I’m blowing that doll up using my mouth.”

“Ewwww…” The other girls, along with Eddie and Mack, exclaimed in unison as Nikki smirked.

“Yeah. I’ve got one. Come on, Elizaveta, we’ll get that done while everyone else gets everything else ready.”

“Go ahead, baby.” Angie smiled as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. “While you’re taking care of that, me and Clarise will rescue Lisa and bring Upchuck to the garage when you’re ready.”

“All right, then.” Elizaveta declared, “Let’s do this.”

Several minutes later, Angie and Lisa entered the garage guiding a somewhat drowsy, yet still conscious Upchuck to the garage with Nikki whispering into the would-be Casanova’s ear, “That’s it baby. We’ll be all alone here…no one’ll bother us.”

“Grrr…Feisty.” The semi-awake redheaded team uttered as Nikki rolled her eyes.

Gritting her teeth, Nikki urged, “Ok, baby…get those clothes off and put on the costume and I’ll be back with something special.

“But…” Upchuck stammered as he saw the Cupid costume.

“You wanna be my love god…don’t you?” Nikki purred.

“Yeah.” Charles replied groggily

“Then put on your costume while I put on mine.” Nikki commanded

Shaking their heads in amazement, while at the same time making disgusted faces, Elizaveta, Angie, Lisa, and Brittany watched while their target did a slow striptease.

“I think I’m going to throw up.” Angie muttered to her girlfriend in a low voice.

“Me too.” Elizaveta responded as Nikki returned wearing a black teddy and holding out a pair of handcuffs, a blindfold, and a gag. “Now baby…” the cheerleader purred as she approached Upchuck, “…just sit down in that chair and let momma take care of you.”

“Grrr…” Charles growled in a sexy a voice as he could while Nikki first put on the blindfold, then cuffed him to the chair, and then put the gag over his mouth. 

Putting on the robe that Lisa held out for her, Nikki joined her fellow cheerleaders and declared in a flat tone to both Elizaveta and Angie, “You two owe me big time for this.”

“Whatever you want.” Elizaveta declared as Angie nodded her head in agreement, “You’ve got. You went above and beyond the call of duty here.”

Taking out the camera, Angie instructed, “Ok, Lisa…. put on those disposable gloves and get that doll. It’s picture time and Upchuck and the doll are the stars.”

Several minutes later, after several rolls of film had been shot, Angie grinned. “I think we’ve got enough.”

“I’m going to have to bleach my eyes out when I get home.” Elizaveta declared as the doll was deflated and put away.

“Tell me about it.” Nikki agreed as she slipped the robe back off again and put on a fake smile. “Okay, Charles…you were a good boy. Now, I’m going to take those things off of you and then you’re going to put your clothes back on for Mistress Nikki.”

“Grrr…yes, Mistress Nikki…” Upchuck answered back in a low voice.

“Mistress Nikki?” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Hey.” Nikki jibed back with a crooked grin, returning to her friends after she unlocked Upchuck’s handcuffs and then removed the gag and blindfold, “You two got your thing going—I got mine.” She then shuddered, “Not that I’d ever play any sort of games with Upchuck—even if he were the last boy and I was the last girl on Earth!”

Watching as Charles got dressed, Nikki smirked, “Better get back to Upchuck.” Then, speaking to the redheaded boy getting dressed, she forced a grin to her face, “Good boy. After you’re done, Jodie’s going to drive you and your car back home…”

“Yes, Mistress…” Charles responded as Nikki, putting her robe back on, the cheerleader joined the other cheerleaders. 

“He’s all yours now.”

“Yes, Mistress Nikki.” Angie and Elizaveta both laughed as they took charge of the still groggy redheaded boy.

Laughing, Nikki joked back, “Get outta here before I bring out my riding crop!” 

 

The next Monday at school, Elizaveta and Angie both walked up to Mack who was standing at his locker talking to Eddie as Jeanette listened in. “Hey, Mack…Eddie…Jeanette. You three got a minute?”

“Yeah, girls.” Mack grinned and then lowered his voice, “You two ready?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied in a whisper, “Can you and Eddie bring Upchuck to Mr. DeMartino’s classroom while Jeanette comes with me? We should have enough time to take care of our business before everyone starts coming in. Angie’s going to get Brittany now and Nikki and the other girls are on their way.”

“Will do.” Both boys answered back as they went to fetch their quarry who was at that moment trying his best to win over Daria with his usual success as the sharp-tongued elder Morgendorffer sister quickly and ruthlessly shot him down.

“Upchuck.” Mack called out as he and Eddie stood on opposite sides of the redheaded boy. “Mr. DeMartino’s classroom—now!”

“Eep!” Upchuck squeaked as he saw the stern looks on both boy’s faces. 

“Now what was that all about?” Daria murmured as she discreetly tailed the three boys, pausing just outside the classroom, concealing herself against a wall as Jeanette and the other cheerleaders, along with Brittany, Angie, and Elizaveta, who was carrying a large manila envelope, entered the room. As Jane approached, she held a finger to her mouth and motioned her to join her as the two girls moved towards the classroom door, using the wall to conceal their presence as they listened in.

“Good morning Upchuck.” Elizaveta greeted her prey with an icy grin. “Have a seat.”

“Sit down, Upchuck.” Mack further reinforced as he glared at the boy.

“Ok…” Charles gulped. “What’s this about?”

“Remember a few weeks ago when you blackmailed Brittany into being your…what were your exact words…slave for a week?” Elizaveta announced, her voice eerily calm and level as she spoke.

“Yeah!” Brittany exclaimed, her eyes red with anger, “You made me do all that stuff for you and I still failed the presentation!”

“That was because Ms. Barch hates me!” Upchuck protested.

“Ms. Barch hates anyone with a penis.” Angie fired back, “But that’s not the point. The point is that you blackmailed my friend with those pictures you took of her and you’re going to stop.”

“I promise…” Upchuck bleated as he saw the menacing looks being directed at him by both Mack and Eddie. “I won’t do it again.”

“Not good enough.” Elizaveta shook her head, “You still have the negatives and you’ve most likely scanned and burned the pictures on to at least one hard drive and most likely cd’s or DVD’s.” Seeing the young boy gulping as he shifted his gaze about the room, the young Hungarian cried out triumphantly, “I’m right—aren’t I. That means you probably intended to do it again. So…what were you going to make her do next time, huh? Or were you planning on trying to blackmail one of us instead?”

Seeing that the boy in the hot seat wasn’t going to answer, Elizaveta persisted as she tossed the manila envelope on the desk where Charles was sitting. “Take a look at these.” As Charles took the pictures out of the envelope and looked at them, sweat beaded up on his brow as his breath became more shallow and rapid.

“What do you want?” Upchuck squeaked.

“Like you…” Elizaveta declared, “…we have the negatives and copies burned on multiple drives.” She then made her demand, “No more blackmailing Brittany or any other girl. Mess with one of us—you mess with all of us. The moment we hear that you’re doing that—everyone sees those pictures. You still have the pictures of Brittany, plus whatever pictures of anyone else you might have taken—that will keep us from double-crossing you. We each have our deterrents. Mutually Assured Destruction. These terms are not negotiable.” She finished as she looked down on her prey, “So…what’s your answer?”

“What other answer can I give?” Upchuck replied in a surly voice, rallying a bit on hearing that he had been offered a relatively graceful exit. “I accept.” He then asked, “Can I keep these—as a show of good faith?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “We can always print out more if we have to.” She warned as she signaled Mack and Eddie to let Upchuck go, “Let’s hope we don’t have to.”

“You won’t.” Charles replied in a meek voice as he got up from his seat. “I learned my lesson.”

Watching from their place of concealment as a downcast Upchuck walked out of the classroom clutching the manila envelope in his hands, Jane quipped in a low voice to her friend, “Remind me not to ever get your step-sister pissed at me.”

Her lips turning up in a slight smile Daria replied, ‘I didn’t think she had it in her.”

“Thanks, girls!” Brittany smiled as she hugged her fellow cheerleaders. “You’re the best friends ever!”

“You’re welcome, Britt.” Angie smiled back as she returned her best friend’s hug, “Just do us a favor—be more careful in the future—ok?”

“Ok.” Brittany responded as she skipped out of the room.

“Think she’ll watch herself more now?” Jeanette inquired with a skeptical look on her face.

“No.” Angie glumly shook her head. “By lunch she’ll have forgotten all about it and the next time she and Kevin break up, she’ll be hitting on some other guy while he cheats on her with another girl.” Then turning to her girlfriend, she asked with a note of concern in her voice, “What about you? Still going to go through with coming clean with your step-mother?”

“I have to.” Elizaveta replied, nodding her head. “I promised her I would. My responsibility…my plan. I take the consequences.”

“Then I do too. I’m going to tell my mother when I get home.” Angie declared, not permitting her lover to disagree. “I helped you plan and carry out everything. You and me…we’re together in this and in everything else.”

“Thanks, szereto…” Elizaveta replied as tears began forming on her face. Giving Angie a gentle kiss, she said as Eddie, Jeanette, and Mack discreetly exited the classroom, “I think I’m beginning to…”

“Yeah…” Angie smiled back as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss, “…I am too.”

 

After telling Helen all the details of what happened and the aftermath, Elizaveta waited stoically as the phone rang. Answering the phone, Helen immediately recognized the voice on the other end of the line. “Hello Jessica. Yeah…she just told me. Angie told you too? Yeah…I think that’s a fair punishment. Elizaveta will get the same. Yeah…I do too, and you’re right. It took a lot of guts for them to come forward like that. Bye.”

“I don’t have to tell you who was on the other end of the line.” Helen declared in a flat tone of voice. “It seems Angie told her mother the same thing you told me. While I respect your honesty and understand your reasons for doing what you did, I can’t and don’t approve of it. You could have put Charles at risk by drugging him like that—not to mention the fact that it’s illegal. If he or his parents want to push the issue, you, Angie, and the other girls could find yourselves in a lot of trouble—more than you’re in now. But…I don’t think he’s going to do anything about it, so…you got lucky…this time. However, young lady—that doesn’t get you off the hook.”

“I understand, Anya.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I accept full responsibility and will accept whatever punishment you feel necessary.”

Nodding her head in approval at her ward’s answer, Helen pronounced sentence. “Very well, you’re grounded for three weeks effective immediately. You can continue your study group over here or at Angie’s, but only where you can be observed by us and all you’re going to do together is study. Mrs. Harmon is giving Angie the same punishment. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Anya.” 

“Good.” Helen responded, the stern expression still on her face. “You can go to your room now.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Elizaveta acknowledged as she picked up her books and made her way upstairs.

Watching as their step-daughter walked up the stairs, Jake remarked, “Well…she’s got guts and isn’t afraid of taking risks.”

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head knowingly, “She just needs to learn the difference between taking smart risks and foolish chances. If they’d have misjudged the effects of that drug, this could have been a lot worse.” She then remarked with a note of pride in her voice, “She’s also a helluva leader. While Brittany might lead the cheerleaders on the field, I think we now know who really leads them.”

Returning to her room, Elizaveta sat down on her chair and began to read until she heard a knock on the door. “Come in.” She called out as Daria entered.

“So…grounded for three weeks, huh?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied with a crooked grin.

“No good deed goes unpunished.” Daria quipped as she sat down on the edge of Elizaveta’s bed.

“Anya was right.” Elizaveta said as her eyes focused on the painting of the starship on her wall. “I took a risk and it could have gone wrong.” She then took a deep breath, “Something just popped into my head. I think it was something someone told me once. There are three kinds of risks: calculated, crazy, and stupid. Calculated is when you weigh the odds and then go with the risk. Crazy is when your back is up against the wall and it’s either do this or die. And stupid is stupid and will often get yourself and/or someone else hurt or killed. I’m not sure whether what I did qualifies as a calculated risk or a stupid risk.”

“Well…you weighed the odds, right?” Daria inquired.

“Yeah. But I should have checked that medication out better—just to be safe.” Elizaveta responded.

“True.” Daria nodded her head in agreement. “So…you know better next time.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, “I still think what I did was right. We couldn’t let Upchuck get away with that and there was no way Brittany’s parents would do anything about it, and I don’t think Upchuck’s would either…” She continued apologetically, “…I’m sorry we froze you out, but…”

“This was your fight.” Daria finished, “I understand that now. So…what are you planning on doing during your sentence?”

Her lips turning up in a slight grin, Elizaveta replied, “I’m going to finish that book you loaned me a while back and then get started on those Phillip K. Dicks books that Angie lent me.”

“See if Angie’ll let me read them once you’re done.” Daria requested as she got up. “I’ll talk to you later. Good night, Sis and…three weeks won’t take that long to pass.”

“Night, Daria.” Elizaveta, turning her radio on to the jazz station that she and Angie liked to listen to, opened her book and began to read. As sentences go, three weeks wasn’t that bad and, hopefully, Upchuck would have learned a valuable lesson.

Meanwhile, back at the Ruttheimer house, Charles was thumbing through the various photos he had taken over the past year. Coming up on the one he took of Angie and Elizaveta rubbing suntan lotion on each other at the park, his lips turned up in an evil grin, “Feisty…”


	13. Sharing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizaveta learns a little bit more about Tiffany and also about her guardians in this chapter.

Quinn looked at Elizaveta reclining on the couch in the living room and reading a book with puzzled amusement. “What are you doing?”

“Reading a book and listening to music.” Elizaveta answered with a chuckle.

“I mean why aren’t you trying to get out of being grounded?” The redheaded teen asked as she took the chair opposite the couch.

Reluctantly closing her book after marking her place, Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders, “It’s a fair punishment. Besides, it’s only three weeks—not three years.”

“But don’t you miss going out with Angie?” Quinn asked.

“Yeah…but we still see each other at school and during our study sessions and we’re planning on going out to celebrate our release from home imprisonment.” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Can I talk to you.” Quinn asked, her eyes darting about the room. 

“Sure,” Elizaveta replied as she sat up on the couch and motioned for Quinn to join her there. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What are you reading?” Quinn asked, trying to make conversation.

“ _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ ” Elizaveta replied with a grin.

“Huh?” Quinn exclaimed with a confused look on her face, “What’s that supposed to be about.”

Chuckling, Elizaveta answered back, “It’s something of a mixture of science fiction with a mystery and a love story. They made a movie of it.”

“They did?” Quinn remarked in astonishment.

“Yeah. It’s called _Blade Runner_ and its star was the same guy who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Elizaveta chuckled. “Rent the movie after school tomorrow and we’ll watch it together…ok?”

“Ok.” Quinn nodded her head.

“Is there anything else?” Elizaveta asked, “You look kind of…upset?”

“Yeah.” Quinn nodded her head, “I just want to know why you’re still mad at me and Stacy?” Quinn inquired in a low voice. “You totally ignore her and barely talk to me.”

“Who said I’m mad at either one of you?” Elizaveta answered back, raising her eyebrows. “Your friend, Sandi?”

“No.” Quinn vehemently shook her head. “She doesn’t have to. I can feel the area getting colder whenever Stacy or I are in the area with either you or Angie. That thing with Eddie happened over a month ago—are you still mad at me because of that?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “Of course not.” She further explained, “I’m not mad at either you or Stacy because of what happened. We made our point that night…”

“I’ll say you did.” Quinn grumbled, lowering her head. “My shirts that week were soaking wet because of Stacy crying on them.”

“Well…I’m not sorry for what we did…” Elizaveta declared with a stern face, “…you two deserved a lot worse—if anything, we went easy on you. But that’s over and done with now. Eddie’s moved on to someone better.” Seeing the brief flash of anger in her step-sister’s eyes, Elizaveta put added steel in her voice, “Stacy didn’t have the guts to stand up to you and the other fashion divas, and if you were really her friend, you’d have stood with her…”

“I did!” Quinn nearly screamed, “I helped her by getting her a date with Skylar’s friend!”

“When you knew that she was seeing Eddie.” Elizaveta sharply retorted. “That’s not what a friend does. If you were really her friend, you’d have told that bitch queen of yours what she could do with that stupid rule and stood by Stacy! You showed me you had courage to stand up for your principles when you walked out on that joke of a modeling class. Why didn’t you stand by your friend then? You turned on her when she needed you most.”

“I did not turn on Stacy!” Quinn shouted as she bolted angrily off the couch. “I tried to help her. Just like I stood up for you when Skylar called you and Angie dykes and when Sandi made a crack about you two being lesbians.”

Taking a deep breath, Elizaveta, trying hard to rein in her temper, replied in a more conciliatory tone. “Thank you for standing up for us then…I really do appreciate it and that did take a lot of guts.” Seeing that her younger sister was beginning to calm down, Elizaveta cooled down also as Quinn sat back down. “Maybe you did what you thought best with Stacy, but in the end it hurt someone else very badly. You made a choice—me and Angie don’t think it was the right choice, but you made it as did Stacy.”

“Yeah. I did.” Quinn responded in a softer voice. “Sandi was seeing blood and I said the first thing that popped into my head that could help Stacy get out of it. Maybe I was wrong—but I didn’t have the time to think about it at the time.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta allowed, “What me and Angie did caused us to be grounded for three weeks, but we’d do it again if we had to. Maybe you might have tried something different had you known what you know now or maybe not. But, you and Stacy still have to live with what you did.”

“You sound like Mom.” Quinn managed a shaky laugh.

“That’s because she said nearly the same thing to me when I got grounded.” Elizaveta chuckled. “Me and Angie would rather be at Alessandro’s tonight dancing, drinking coffee, and snuggling. But instead, here I am reading a book and Angie’s back home doing the same thing. Stacy has to live with the fact that her actions caused her to lose a really great guy to another girl who has the brains to see him for who he is and who won’t let a group of harpies tell her that she can’t see him.”

Quinn remained silent as Elizaveta spoke, the young blonde’s voice tone now lower and more somber as she shook her head, “No…I’m not mad at you or Stacy.”

“Thanks, Sis.” Quinn said in a soft voice as she quietly got up off the couch. “I’ll rent that movie tomorrow and we can watch it together.” She then took a deep breath and pleaded, “Would it be all right if I invited Stacy to join us?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied, accepting her step-sister’s olive branch, “Go on ahead.”

“Thanks.” The young redheaded teen answered back with a slight smile as she began to walk up the stairs as Daria was walking down. Daria passed her by in silence as she joined Elizaveta on the couch. “Sorry, but it was hard not to hear the two of you shouting at each other earlier, but I see that you seem to have resolved whatever the issue was.”

“Sorta.” Elizaveta answered back as Daria took the seat on the couch formerly occupied by Quinn. “We’re going to watch _Blade Runner_ tomorrow night. You’re welcome to join us.”

Snickering, Daria quipped, “Quinn…watching _Blade Runner_? How did you pull that off?”

“I told her it’s a mix of a science fiction story, mystery, and love story all rapped up in one.” Elizaveta replied with a smirk, “Also, it probably didn’t hurt when I told her that Harrison Ford stars in it.”

“That’ll do it.” Daria grinned back. “I’m afraid I can’t though. Jane and I are getting together at her house for the _Sick Sad World_ marathon. But let me know how many times she freaks out.” Her smirk widening, she suggested, “She’ll probably get the studio version. I can get hold of the director’s cut. Play that instead.”

“Why not?” Elizaveta chuckled. Her laughter dying down, the blonde teenager added, “She asked me if she could invite Stacy over and I said ok.”

“Peace conference?” Daria jibed.

“I don’t know about that.” Elizaveta responded, “Like I told Quinn, I’m not mad at either one of them anymore and I’m not the one Stacy has to apologize to.”

“This is true.” Daria replied as she got up from the couch. “I’m going to study and then to bed. Good night.”

“I think I’ll do the same after I finish this.” Elizaveta answered back with a yawn. “Good night.”

That night, Elizaveta dreamed…

 

Elizaveta woke up with a start. Quickly grabbing the phone, she dialed Angie’s number. “Angie? I’m sorry, szereto. I had a dream…”

“What sort of dream, baby?” Angie, still groggy after having been woken up, inquired. As her girlfriend described her dream, Angie listened until she was finished. Then, taking several moments to process her girlfriend’s words, she asked, “So…what do you think it means?”

“I’m not sure.” Elizaveta responded. “One of the people in that dream was the person I was telling you about—the woman with the spotted tattoos on her neck.”

“Yeah…” Angie answered back, “But now you have a name for her.”

“Right.” Elizaveta confirmed, “Her name’s Jadzia, but I used to call her Jadz.” She then paused for a moment before continuing, “But I was older in the dream…maybe twenty years older? And I think…” She hesitated as a lump formed in her throat, “…I think I might have been involved once with someone…I think her name was Erika…and I hurt her…bad…”

“Hey…” Angie replied in a soothing voice, “That doesn’t change anything between us. You said if you ever found out that there was someone before me, you’d tell me and you did. You were honest with me—that’s what’s important. We promised each other no secrets and we’re keeping that promise—right?” 

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled, “Thank you, szereto.”

“Also…” Angie consoled, “It sounds to me like you wanted to make up for whatever you did in that dream…I think that’s good.”

“Thanks again.” Elizaveta said, her mood improving, “I needed to hear that. But…why am I older in the dream?”

“I don’t know.” Angie replied, “I don’t think it’s that big a deal though. I know sometimes when I dream I’m a kid again. Maybe I had a dream once when I looked older—I can’t remember having one, but you know how you forget your dreams when you wake up.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied, “But this dream…it was so vivid…”

“You think you should tell your guardians and doctors about it?” Angie suggested.

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta replied, “Maybe it’s just my mind trying to process a conversation I had with Quinn this evening.” She then described her earlier conversation with her younger sibling as Angie listened.

“Maybe...” Angie pondered, “Your dream was all about forgiving and that sounds like what Stacy and Quinn are wanting…makes sense.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.” Elizaveta agreed.

“But…there might be some parts of your past that are coming back.” Angie suggested, “Like…I’m thinking your friend Jadzia was a real person because this is at least the second time you’ve dreamed about her.”

“And Erika?” Elizaveta asked.

“Could be a real person or could be standing for someone you once knew or might be imaginary…I don’t know…” Angie chuckled, “I’m just grasping at straws here—maybe you should talk to your guardians or your doctor…”

“Thanks, Angie…” Elizaveta smiled, “I will…and…I’m sorry I…”

“Hey…” Angie chuckled, ‘Don’t be, baby…you need me…you just call me…”

“Same here. Good night, szereto.”

“Good night, baby.”

 

“So…did you tell your guardians about the dream?” Angie asked, giving her girlfriend a quick kiss as she met Elizaveta at the front of the school.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, returning the kiss. “Apa and Anya talked to Dr. Carlisle.” The young Hungarian quipped as the couple walked towards their lockers, “Maybe you should go into psychology in college. The doctor thinks my dream was pretty much as we talked about last night. I had forgiveness on my mind and so dreamed about it, but he thinks Jadzia probably does represent a real person. I gave them a description of her and they’re passing it on to the authorities…” Elizaveta sighed, “…but I don’t think anything will come of it.”

“Why not?” Angie inquired as the pair reached their lockers and began taking out their books for the morning classes.

“I don’t know…it’s just a feeling…” Elizaveta responded, shaking her head. “Anyway, Quinn’s going to rent _Blade Runner_ and we’re going to watch it tonight. And…” The young blonde took a deep breath and then exhaled, “She’s going to invite Stacy to join us.”

“Quinn?! _Blade Runner_!” Angie laughed, “I hope she gets the director’s cut…if she does…take pictures.”

“Daria’s getting the director’s cut.” Elizaveta grinned, “If Quinn gets the studio version, I’m going to switch it out.” Thinking for a moment, she further proposed, “You know…it won’t be as good as if you were there with us, but we could talk on the phone while it’s playing…”

Sighing, Angie shook her head, “Our moms would kill us if we tied up the phone for the length of the movie. Tell you what though…” Her lips turned up in a mischievous grin, “Call me whenever Stacy or Quinn freak out and call me at the end.... ok?”

“Ok, szereto.” Elizaveta chuckled as the bell rang. “Well…we better get to class.”

 

Sure enough, much to the amusement of Elizaveta and Angie, there were plenty of ‘Ewww’s ‘and ‘Yeech’s’ from Quinn and Stacy at several points in the movie especially during the more violent parts. But…curiously, during Batty’s death scene, both Quinn and Stacy, along with the Elizaveta, watched in silence. Then, as the final scene played out, Quinn asked in a soft voice, “What happened to Rachel? Was she killed? Did she and Deckard get away? Was Deckard one of those replicant thingies like Batty and those others?”

“What do you think, Quinn?” Elizaveta asked.

“I don’t know?” The redheaded teen responded. “It just faded to black…”

“How do you want it to end?” Elizaveta inquired.

“I want them to get away and live happily ever after.” Stacy, quiet until now, interjected, Quinn nodding her head in agreement.

“Then that’s how the movie ends for you.” Elizaveta replied.

“How about you?” Quinn asked, “What’s your ending?”

“Deckard doesn’t know if he’s a replicant or not or how long they have to live.” Elizaveta replied, “So, they have to live every day like it’s their last day.” Then, speaking to her girlfriend on the phone, she asked, “What about you, szereto?”

“I think Deckard’s human, but Rachel has an expiration date, so they have to make every moment count.” Angie replied over the phone, “I think it adds a touch more angst making him human because when it does happen, he’s going to have to live with it for the rest of his life.”

As Elizaveta relayed Angie’s answer, Elizaveta pointed out to Stacy and Quinn. “But like I said, all our endings work. You’re supposed to write the ending.”

Getting up from her seat, Quinn announced, “I’ve got to go up to my room and take care of some stuff real quick. I’ll be back in a bit…” Seeing the look of panic on her friend’s face, the redheaded teen flashed a quick smile of encouragement and a subtle nod of her head as she made her way up the stairs, “Be back soon!”

“Ummm…Elizaveta…” Stacy stammered as the older teen ejected the dvd from the player and put it back in its case, “I want…to…I want to…”

“Want to—what?” Elizaveta asked as she set the dvd down and returned to the couch.

“I want to apologize for what I…did…” The young brunette stumbled, her voice cracking as she spoke.

“Like I told Quinn…” Elizaveta declared, “I’m not the one you have to apologize to. You know who you need to go to…”

“Eddie.” Stacy answered back in a glum voice as she lowered her head in shame. “I know…”

“What I’d like to know is…” Elizaveta inquired, “Why you didn’t stand up to that witch? Me and Angie told you we’d be with you. That’s why I’m disappointed in you. You didn’t have enough faith in me or in Angie to have your back.”

“That’s not it!” Stacy sobbed.

“Then tell me why.” The blonde Hungarian cheerleader persisted.

“It’s…it’s…” Stacy stammered as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“Relax, Stacy.” Elizaveta interrupted in a calming voice. “I’m not mad at you and I’m not going to yell at you…but I am going to tell you the truth—whether you want to hear it or not.” Pausing for several moments to let her words sink in, Elizaveta gently asked, “Are you ready for that?”

Nodding her head, Stacy brushed away her tears, “I…I guess so…I have to be…don’t I?”

“No…” Elizaveta shook her head, “You don’t have to be. But if we’re going to have this conversation, then you’re going to need to listen. I’m not going to lie to you to make you feel better. So…if you want to wait…that’s ok.”

Shaking her head, Stacy responded, “No…I have to…”

“All right.” Elizaveta sighed, “So…go ahead…tell me why you didn’t stand up to Sandi when you had the chance. Why didn’t you ask me, Angie, or Jodie for help?”

“I…I was scared to.” Stacy confessed, her eyes tearing up again. “I was afraid that if I did, Sandi would ostro…ostri…what is it when you become like Daria?”

Shaking her head, Elizaveta chuckled softly, “The word you’re looking for is ostracize and if you think that applies to Daria, then you are so wrong that it isn’t even funny.” Seeing the confused look on the young brunette’s face, Elizaveta explained, “Daria’s not an outcast. She’s just very picky about who she lets get close to her—there’s a big difference. You see—she’s the one making the choices—other people aren’t making them for her. And yes—she can be scary when she wants to be. But here’s the thing you’re going to find hard to swallow, but it’s the truth. If Daria wanted to and set her mind to do it, she could be the most popular girl at that school—no question about it.”

“Really?” Stacy exclaimed in disbelief. 

“Really.” Elizaveta nodded her head as affirmation. “No doubt about it.” Hearing Quinn’s door opening, Elizaveta ended the discussion. “Like I said, as far as I’m concerned, I’m not mad at you. Now, I’m only speaking for myself, I can’t speak for Angie or Jodie—I don’t consider the two of us friends anymore, Stacy, and I don’t trust you either. If you want my friendship and my trust, you’re going to have to earn both—and it won’t be easy.”

“Would apologizing to Eddie help?” Stacy whimpered.

“It’d be a step in the right direction.” Elizaveta declared as Quinn came down the stairs.

Seeing that her step-sister and best friend had finished their conversation, the young redhead grinned, her smile hiding her concern, “So…did you two get things settled?”

“More or less.” Elizaveta responded as Stacy, daubing the tears away from her eyes, nodded her head. “We’ll see what the future brings.”

“Yeah.” Stacy whimpered, “I guess I should be going home now. Thanks for inviting me over.”

As her friend walked out of the house, Quinn glared at Elizaveta, “What did you say to her?”

Staring right back at her younger step-sister, the blonde Hungarian replied in a steady, steely voice, “The truth.”

 

“So…how did it go with Little Miss Fashionista last night?” Angie asked as she and her girlfriend walked down the hall to their lockers.

Turning her head towards where Jeanette and Eddie were talking and holding hands with each other in front of Mr. O’Neill’s classroom, Elizaveta nodded in the direction of Stacy who was at that moment approaching her former boyfriend and his companion. “I’d say we’re about to find out, szereto.”

Watching discreetly as the scene before them played out, the couple turned their heads as an obviously crying Stacy walked past them. 

“I guess you two saw what happened.”

“Hard not to, Eddie.” Angie replied as Eddie and Jeannette joined the two blondes.

“Got to give her credit for at least apologizing.” Eddie declared in a quiet, yet firm, voice. “I told her that while I might not be mad at her anymore, that it didn’t make us friends and that I don’t think we ever can be friends.” He then gazed into Jeannette’s eyes as he spoke his next words. “As far as I’m concerned, the book on Stacy is closed now.”

“Good enough for me.” Jeannette replied as she gave her boyfriend a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Well…” Elizaveta said in a quiet voice as the bell rang, “..we better get to our classes. I hear Li’s making detention mandatory for all tardies.”

“The Wicked Witch strikes again.” Angie quipped as the two blondes made their way towards DeMartino’s class while their friends went on into O’Neill’s. “See you guys later!”

 

Meeting in the girls room at the end of class, the Fashion Club all stood in front of the mirrors primping as Sandi spoke, her voice cutting through the room, “So…Stacy…what was that display about this morning?”

Her mascara pen almost slipping, Stacy stammered out a reply, “I…I…” Seeing a supporting nod from the redhead standing next to her, the pig-tail wearing brunette gathered her courage, “…apologized to Eddie for dumping him.”

“You apologized?” A disbelieving Sandi exclaimed.

“Whaaaaaatttt?” Tiffany’s slow drawl then resounded, “Does this make me look fat?”

“I said I was sorry.” Stacy replied as she ignored Tiffany, her mascara now running thanks to her tears. “I told him I was sorry for dumping him like I did.”

“Stacy!” The Fashion Club president rebuked, “You never apologize to a boy. Right, Quinn?” Sandi’s lips turned up in an icy smile as she forced her redheaded frenemy to either side with her and share in humiliating Stacy or in declaring open defiance.

Her lips turning up in a faux grin, Quinn deftly avoided Sandi’s trap, “But Sandi…” She replied in her most unctuous voice, “I remember you saying once that you should always tell a boy when you’re moving on. So, Stacy wasn’t apologizing to Eddie for dumping him. She was apologizing for not telling him she was dumping him—like you said we should.” Turning to Stacy, Quinn raised an eyebrow, “Right, Stacy?” She prompted.

“Ummm…Right, Quinn…” Stacy responded as she washed her face and reapplied her makeup.

“Oh…very well then.” Sandi responded, giving this round to Quinn as the four fashion divas finished their primping and walked out of the bathroom. “That is acceptable.”

As Stacy walked out of the bathroom with her friends, one thought remained in the forefront of her mind. That she had, once again, let someone else make her choices for her.

Unknown to the fashion queens, someone was listening to the entire conversation from the concealment of a bathroom stall. Emerging after they had left, Jeannette, after flushing the toilet and washing her hands, muttered under her breath. “Bitches.”

 

“So…” Angie queried, her lips turned up in wicked grin as her eyes focused on the girls of the Fashion Club all gathered together gossiping amongst themselves, “Did DeMartino’s lecture remind you of a certain on-campus club?”

“Hmmm…” Elizaveta chuckled as her gaze also turned to the fashionistas, “No…not right off hand. All I see in front of me are a bunch of plastic robots.”

“More like the walking dead.” Jodie quipped as she quickly picked up on what the two cheerleaders were talking about. “How much longer are the two of you on restriction?” She asked as her boyfriend came up behind her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Less than a week.” Both girls sighed in relief.

“So…how are you two going to celebrate?” Mack asked as the foursome made their way down the hall to their next class.

“How else?” Angie grinned, “Dinner for two at Giuseppe’s then dancing and coffee at Alessandro’s.”

“Before that though, we’re going to take a walk down Dega Street to check out all the shops—especially the vintage clothing stores.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed as she took her girlfriend’s hand in hers, the pair ignoring a whispered “lesbos” crack coming from one of the students they passed by. “We missed the last twenties jazz night…”

“And Angie promised to teach me the Charleston.” Elizaveta grinned.

“And the week after…” Angie noted, “My baby gets her learner’s permit.”

“The paperwork came through?” Jodie inquired.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Thanks to some not so gentle prodding by anya. She promised that if I kept my grades up like I am now and don’t get put on restriction again, in about three months, if I’m ready, I can get my license.”

“Cool.” Mack replied. “Being able to drive is a lifesaver around here—mass transit being as awful as it is.”

As they arrived at their next class, Ms. Bennett for economics, Angie joked, “I wonder what sort of pretty pictures Bennett will have for us today?”

 

The walk home with Daria and Quinn was a quiet one for Elizaveta as she processed the events of the day. After lunch, she and Angie had heard from Jeanette about the conversation in the girls room between Stacy and the rest of the Fashion Club and how, once again, Stacy caved under pressure and followed Quinn’s lead. Seeing the glare that Elizaveta was giving her sibling, Daria inquired in a low voice, “What did Quinn do this time?” After hearing Elizaveta’s whispered account of what happened, the auburn-haired teen nodded her head knowingly, “That doesn’t surprise me. Stacy doesn’t have a backbone.”

“I know.” Elizaveta sighed, “But she doesn’t have to be such a jellyfish.” Laughing, the young blonde remarked in a whisper, “I wonder how Quinn would feel if she knew just how unpopular she and the rest of those harpies she hangs out with really are. They think being popular means always going on dates with the ‘popular’ boys, being exclusive and looking down on everyone else, and wearing the latest clothes. They couldn’t be more wrong.”

“So…” Daria queried, curious as to what her step-sister’s response would be, “What do you think makes someone popular?”

“Being honest and treating people decently.” Elizaveta simply responded.

“Not a whole lot of our fellow students fit that description.” Daria deadpanned while being inwardly pleased at Elizaveta’s definition. “Myself included.”

“You fit that picture more than you might think.” Elizaveta answered back with a smile that surprised Daria as the teenagers neared the front door to their house. “So…” She spoke loud enough so that Quinn could hear, “What are your plans for tonight?”

“Date tonight!” Quinn sang out.

“I thought you were babysitting the Gupty kids tonight.” Daria quipped, her lips turned up in a smirk.

“Yeah…Daria…” Quinn replied, “I need to talk to you about that. I’d ask Elizaveta, but she’s still grounded, so I was wondering if you’d fill in for me.”

“We’ll negotiate terms inside the house.” Daria responded.

As they entered the house, Elizaveta began to walk up the stairs as her sisters began their haggling ritual. “I’ll let the two of you hash this out.” The young blonde cringed, “I’m going to be stuck at that couples therapy night.”

“Better you than me.” Quinn joked as she jotted down a name and date in her new appointment book.

“You have my sympathies.” Daria deadpanned, only half-kidding.

 

“Sorry you got roped into this, kiddo.” Jake whispered to Elizaveta as Helen went to answer the door. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t want to be here either.”

“Thanks, Apa.” Elizaveta replied as she forced a grin to her face. She then took a deep breath as she saw the first of the guests to arrive, Mr. and Mrs. Blum-Deckler and their daughter, Tiffany, “It can’t get that bad—can it?”

Shaking his head, Jake mournfully replied as even more guests came in, “I’m afraid so, dear.”

“Tiffany…” Mr. Blum-Deckler growled in a low voice, “…put away that compact.”

Acting at first as if she didn’t hear her father, Tiffany continued gazing into the compact’s mirror until her mother gently took it away from her, “You’ll get it back when we’re done here.” Mrs. Blum-Deckler declared as Elizaveta gritted her teeth. This was going to be a long night.

“So…Elizaveta…” The group leader, a nattily dressed woman wearing a dark blue pantsuit with matching blouse, queried as all eyes fell on the blonde cheerleader, “…how are you adjusting to school and your new home.”

“Very well.” The young cheerleader laconically replied.

“Besides being a cheerleader, she’s in the dance club and makes excellent grades.” Helen proudly interjected.

“Seeing anyone special?” Mr. Gupty inquired.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta’s face lit up, “I have a steady girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Mrs. Blum-Deckler sniffed disdainfully. “You mean you’re one of those…”

Catching what seemed to be a look of sympathy from the young Eurasian teen, Elizaveta answered back in a low voice, the polite words not at all covering up the note of pride and barely masking the challenging tone also present in her voice, “That’s right. I am. And her name’s Angie.”

“Our daughter and her girlfriend have shown remarkable maturity in handling their relationship.” Helen declared with pride. “Jake and I and Angie’s mother support their relationship one-hundred percent.”

“That’s right!” A suddenly animated Jake declared, “Elizaveta’s as much our daughter as Quinn and Daria are.”

“It’s good that you’re so supportive of your ward.” The therapist replied before smoothly segueing to another topic—this time grades in school.

“Our children are both A students.” Lauren Gupty announced as her husband proudly beamed.

“Daria’s also carrying an A average and Elizaveta has a B+ average.” Helen countered.

“How’s Quinn doing?” Mrs. Blum-Deckler smugly inquired.

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Helen replied, “Quinn’s having some problems in prioritizing.” Then, seeing Tiffany break out a second compact, the auburn-haired lawyer smirked, “But then…I’m sure that’s something you’re familiar with, Janice, dear.”

“And how is Tiffany doing?” The therapist inquired.

“Whaaaat?” Tiffany drawled as she momentarily looked up from her mirror before once again returning to her reflection, “Do I look fat?”

“No dear.” Janice sighed and then answered the therapist’s question with a sigh, “Tiffany has problems maintaining focus. But, we’re looking into possible solutions.”

“More medication?” Helen murmured under her breath.

“Mrs. Morgendorffer? Did you say something?” The therapist inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“No.” Helen shook her head as she gritted her teeth.

Seeing that the tension level in the room had risen drastically, the therapist plastering a grin on her face, suggested, “Why don’t we take a fifteen-minute break to stretch our legs before we continue without the girls.”

“Good idea.” Jake nodded his head, “Elizaveta? Why don’t you take Tiffany up to your room. I don’t think she’s seen it yet.”

Making the best of a bad situation, Elizaveta nodded her head, “Ok, Apa. Come on, Tiffany.” _Try not to get lost on the way up the stairs_.

Reluctantly letting the fashionista in her room, the young Hungarian smiled indulgently at the Eurasian girl’s drawled comment, “Niiiiice room.” As she closed the door behind her, Tiffany’s voice and manner changed, “They can’t hear us in here—can they?” The young Eurasian girl asked.

“What the hell?” Elizaveta exclaimed.

Speaking softly, Tiffany confessed, “It’s an act—well…most of it’s an act. Some of it’s real. You were at Brittany’s party. You saw and heard me talk normally.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she motioned for her guest to have a seat on her chair while she sat on the edge of her bed. “Me and Angie thought it was weird that shortly after the party you seemed to be always walking around in a daze. She told me that while you all were in middle school that you talked and acted ordinarily. Why the act?”

“Well…I do have to take pills because if I don’t I get either really hyper or feel really low and the pills do have some side effects. They make things slow down a bit for me—but not as much as I make it look like. The doctor said I had bi-polar disorder.”

“I know what that is.” Elizaveta nodded her head.

“I also have to take pills because I tend to lose focus…” Tiffany said as she took out two vials containing medication from her purse and handed them to Elizaveta. “These are empty, but they’re the prescriptions for the pills I have to take—and I really do have to take them. That is not an act. If I don’t—bad things can happen.”

“Ok…you’re also suffering from an attention deficit disorder as well as the mood swings. I think I understand.” Elizaveta said and then inquired, “But even taking these meds shouldn’t make you as…”

“Dumb as I seem.” Tiffany chuckled, “They don’t.” She shook her head, “The rest is an act.”

“Again.” Elizaveta asked, “Why?”

“You saw my parents in there.” The Eurasian girl sighed, “Mom works under Mrs. Griffin at the TV station and Dad is a stock broker. He handles the Griffins’ accounts and also those of all their friends. Mom says I have to be friends with Sandi and Dad wants me to keep on Sandi’s good side too because if he loses the Griffins, he’s afraid that all their friends would leave too.”

“So…your folks are using you to maintain their status.” Elizaveta shook her head. “And since me, Daria, and Quinn started coming to school here…”

“The three of you have been making waves all over—each of you in your own way.” Tiffany chuckled and then frowned, “Quinn and Sandi have been trying to outdo each other from the moment your sister joined the Fashion Club and me and Stacy have been caught in the middle. Stacy’s so scared of both of them that she freaks out and as for me…I decided the best way to avoid getting caught up in the drama was to…”

“Play dumb.” Elizaveta nodded her head.

“Yeah.” Tiffany agreed. “I figured that out shortly after Brittany’s party. At school a few days later, I saw how Quinn and Sandi were acting towards each other and that they were using me and Stacy as…what do you call those pieces in chess? You know the ones that are in the front?”

“Pawns.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Yeah…I think I understand.”

“Right.” Tiffany replied, “I finally figured out that I was nothing more than a pawn for both my parents and for Sandi and Quinn, and so decided that I could either end up a basket case like Stacy or come up with something else.”

“You could always just walk away.” Elizaveta observed.

“Not right now, I can’t.” Tiffany shook her head. “As you’ve probably noticed, I’m adopted. I can’t afford to get my parents mad at me. Anyway…it’s just four years and then I’m leaving this town as far and as fast as I can.” Sighing, she concluded, “I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m going to do. I just know that I’m getting the hell out of here as soon as I can and I’m never coming back.”

“So…why are you telling me all this?” Elizaveta asked, “What are you looking for?”

Closing her eyes and then opening them, Tiffany replied, “I’m not looking to hang out with you and Angie or anything like that. You saw my folks’ reaction when they found out the two of you were dating. They’re…what’s the word for those who hate gay people?”

“Homophobes.” Elizaveta promptly provided. “Yeah…me and Angie have become familiar with a few of them since we started going out. Mostly we just ignore them, but there’s been one or two occasions where we’ve had to hit back—kind of like what I did with your mom.”

“Right.” Tiffany nodded her head. “There’s no way my parents would let me hang out with you.”

“It’s not like we can give you gay cooties…” Elizaveta laughed.

Laughing along with the blonde cheerleader, Tiffany joked, “You mean you can’t?”

Seeing the twinkle in the young Eurasian’s eyes, Elizaveta laughed louder, “Better be careful…it might be catching…at least that’s what I heard from that preacher on TV.” Her laughter subsiding, Elizaveta asked, “So…what exactly is it that you do want?”

“All I want…” Tiffany sighed, “Is to be able to drop the act every once in a while with people I know can keep a secret a secret. Like I said, I’m not asking to hang out with you, or even be your friend. After what happened with Stacy, I understand why you and Angie might be…”

“Suspicious?” Elizaveta helpfully provided.

“Yeah.” Tiffany nodded her head. “I understand why you might not trust me and other than what you’ve already found out I’m not expecting you to confide in me or anything like that. But please…please…” She begged, “Don’t tell anyone other than Angie what I’ve just told you. It’s enough to ruin everything if it gets out—so I hope that says something about me right there…”

“It does.” Elizaveta responded with an encouraging smile and then cautioned, “A lot. You do realize, of course, that I’m going to tell Angie everything we’re talking about now. One…to verify what you’ve told me. And second, and most important—we don’t keep secrets from each other. So…if there’s something you don’t want Angie to know—better to not tell me. Just like if there’s something you tell her that you don’t want me to know because she will tell me. And neither one of us are going to get caught up in any of your Fashion Club dramas. Understand?”

“I understand.” Tiffany nodded her head in assent. “Go ahead and tell Angie what we’ve been talking about. I know you don’t trust me, but I trust you.”

“All right.” Elizaveta decided, “For now—if everything checks out, you have a safe space here in this room and probably with Angie after we talk—but be careful around Quinn and Daria…” She warned, “They might not be so willing to keep your secret.”

“I understand—and—thank you.”

Elizaveta ended the conversation with a final warning, “Don’t let me or Angie regret doing this like we now regret trusting Stacy. Believe me, you do not want to get on our bad sides.”

 

Sitting down with her guardians over a game of Scrabble on the last evening of her restriction, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a triumphant grin as she spelled out the word, ‘quasar’, taking advantage of both a triple word score and triple letter score for the letter Q.

“Ouch!” Helen grimaced as she totaled up the points. “I was wondering who had that letter.” She then used the Q to spell out the word, ‘quaint’ as she grinned. “There we go—still in the hunt.”

“Oh boy!” Jake sighed as he spelled out ‘dare.’ “Looks like I’m coming in third.”

The game went on for several more rounds until finally, the last letter played, Helen totaled up the score. “Well, Elizaveta, looks like you’re narrowly the winner with me a close second and Jake bringing up the rear.” She then smiled, “Good game.”

“Yeah, Kiddo.” Jake grinned, “You know, you’re pretty good at this.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta smiled and then offered, “Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes.” Helen grinned, “That’d be nice.” 

“I’ll be back in a moment, then.” Elizaveta replied, “You like it black, right anya? And cream for you, apa.”

“That’s right, dear.” Both guardians replied in unison. Then, a few moments later, Elizaveta returned with a tray upon which rested three coffee cups and the pot. Setting the tray down, the young blonde stirred the cream into her coffee and took a sip.

“Anya…apa…I was wondering if I could ask you a question?”

“Of course, sweetie.” Helen responded.

“Anything, kiddo.” Jake answered back.

“I was wondering if you could tell me about the first time you met. Did you love each other at first sight or was it gradual?”

“What brought this on, dear?” Helen asked solicitously, “Are things between you and Angie getting more serious?”

“I think so.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I’m pretty sure they are.” Seeing the looks of concern on her guardians’ faces she quickly clarified. “We still haven’t been physically…ummm…you know…other than kissing and snuggling…and yeah…” she blushed, “necking and…ummm…we might have touched a few sensitive places on each other once or twice above the waist…but…clothes still on.” Pausing for a moment, she confessed, “I’m not going to say it’s not going to happen one of these days—it most likely will. But we want our first time to be special. We’re not going to rush into it and when we do decide the time’s right, we’re not going to be together in a sleazy motel room or in the backseat of a car.”

“Well…” Helen sighed in relief, “Thank you for feeling that you can be honest with us about this. I know that it can’t be easy for you. I want you to know that you can always be that way with us.” Her voice taking on a sad note as she remembered her first time with the stunt driver, Helen said with a winsome smile, “And you’re right to wait until you’re ready. Your first time should be a special memory that you will always cherish. Not one filled with regret.” She concluded in a somber voice as her husband squeezed her hand in support.

“Yeah, kiddo.” Jake grinned, also inwardly relieved, “I wish I could have talked to my father about this stuff, but NO! Mad Dog Morgendorffer didn’t have time for his little Jakey!”

“Jake…” Helen quickly intervened, placing a comforting hand on her husband’s. “It’s ok, now. Mad Dog’s not here. You’re with me and Elizaveta.”

“I think you’re wonderful, Apa.” Elizaveta, now better at helping her step-father in coping with his tormented childhood, soothed, “I love you and anya…”

“And we love you too, sweetie.” Helen smiled back, her heart twinging with sadness and regret at the fact that she could communicate better with her adoptive ward than with Daria and Quinn and that Elizaveta seemed to trust her and Jake more than her own daughters did.

“That’s right.” A calmer Jake replied, the grin returning to his face. “So…you want to know when me and your mother met and whether it was love at first sight, huh? Well…we met at Middleton College when we were both freshmen…”

 

**_Middleton College: 1968_ **

Getting off the Greyhound at the Middleton station, eighteen-year old Jake Morgendorffer sighed in relief as he ran a hand through his still very short military styled close-cropped brown hair. Picking up the two suitcases that contained all that he could bring from home, Jake sighed in relief that he was finally free from the hell of Buxton Ridge Military Academy and his tormentors: Corporal Ellenbogan and the Commandant of Cadets. Also, thanks to his father—for reasons unknown to Jake—paying for his college tuition, he managed to score a deferment from the draft and so was spared the fate of many of his military school graduating class who were promptly drafted or had enlisted and were shipped off to Vietnam.

Unable to afford even taxi fare, Jake managed to snag at the last minute a municipal bus headed for the college. Looking out the window of the sweltering hot bus, the young man sighed in relief as Martin Luther King Jr.’s words resounded in his mind, _Free at last…free at last. Thank God All Mighty, I’m free at last_. “Well…” Jake muttered to himself as memories of the indignities inflicted on him by his tormentors rushed through his mind, “I’m finally free.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Helen Barksdale tried to ignore her mother’s fawning over her sister Rita and her younger sister Amy’s biting sarcastic commentary on both her and Rita. As she looked out the window, she missed her mother’s query until brought back with a sharp remark. “Do you have a hearing problem?” Emma Barksdale snapped, barely restraining herself from slapping her middle daughter on the back of her head.

“Wha…” Helen shook her head, “I’m sorry…what was it you were saying, Mother?”

“I was saying…” Emma gasped in exasperation, “That it’s a shame that you didn’t get into a good school like William and Mary like your sister Rita did. Instead…you chose…this place.” She sniffed derisively.

“I didn’t have a choice.” Helen bit back. “You wouldn’t pay the tuition for UCLA or U Cal—Berkeley—even though they both accepted me and I wanted to go to them. Middleton was the only school that I could get into at the last minute.”

“I’m not letting you go to those commie schools where you’ll just take up with that hippie crowd.” Emma huffed. “And it’s your fault that you didn’t apply to any local schools.”

“That’s because she didn’t want to be anywhere near us.” Amy interjected, adding snidely, “Works for me—I don’t really want to be near her or Rita either.”

Knowing that her younger sister was mostly right—she did indeed want to be as far away as possible from Rita, Amy, and her mother, Helen once again returned to her reveries as she glanced out the window at the Middleton campus. “Just a few more minutes.” She muttered to herself, “Then I’ll be in my dorm room and free.”

 

**_The present_ **

“For me…” Jake said in a wistful voice, “Middleton meant freedom. I was free from the military school and Corporal Ellenbogan and Mad Dog for the first time and I intended to take advantage of it.”

“Me too.” Helen agreed, although her voice was also tinged with a touch of regret at missed opportunities. “I got away from my situation at home. No more sarcastic remarks from Amy, or quarreling with my sisters, and no more having to listen to Mother’s constant fawning over Rita or her cutting me down at every turn. I could be my own person for the first time without having to live in anyone else’s shadow. I was looking forward to it.”

“So…when did the two of you meet?” Elizaveta asked.

“Not too long after we got settled in.” Helen smiled as she and Jake reminisced.

 

_**The past** _

After finally getting moved into her new room, Helen met her roommate. “Hi.” A young, lean girl with long, stringy brown hair greeted as she lugged in a suitcase. “My name’s Willow. I guess we’re going to be roomies.”

“My name’s Helen.” Helen replied as she helped her new roommate move in. “What are you planning on majoring in?” She asked as Willow began to unpack her stuff.

“I haven’t decided.” The other young woman said with a shrug of her shoulders, “Maybe fine arts or music—wherever the spirit moves me. What about you?”

“Political Science.” Helen replied. “I want to be a lawyer so that I can change this rotten system.”

“Groovy.” Willow smiled, “You know…there’s a protest against the war that’s going to be held in front of the student center in a couple of hours. I’m planning on going. Wanna come with?”

“Sure!” Helen exclaimed. “Let’s finish up here and we can go and make ourselves heard.”

“Right on, Sister!” Willow smirked as she handed a bag to Helen, “Rotten eggs—to throw at the man.

 

“Hey, man!”

“Whaaa!” Rapidly turning about, Jake unconsciously braced himself for another bout of taunting by one of his military school classmates before remembering that he was no longer at that hellhole.

“Hey, man…I didn’t mean to startle you. You just come back from the ‘Nam?” Jake saw a young man with long dark hair and a mustache and beard and a year or two older than himself holding his hands up in a gesture of peace.

“I’m sorry.” Jake apologized. “I was just taken by surprise—I didn’t mean to snap at you or anything. No…I wasn’t in the service. My parents sent me to a military school and I just graduated. God, I hated that place and almost everyone in it.” Jake growled, and then forcing himself to calm down, apologized again, “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s just that I have bad memories about that school.”

“It’s cool, man.” The other man said with a conciliatory grin, “Don’t sweat it. You’ve been put down by the Man. You got a right to be mad. By the way, I’m Frank…Frank Yeager, but everyone calls me Coyote.”

“Coyote?” Jake inquired, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Coyote grinned, “They call me that because I came here from Arizona.”

“You’re a long way from home.” Jake responded with a smile of his own.

“Just wanted to go somewhere different—you dig?” Coyote remarked as he took out what looked like a hand-rolled cigarette and lit it. Sniffing the aroma, Jake quickly realized that whatever his new acquaintance was smoking, it wasn’t tobacco. “Here man…” Coyote smiled as he held the joint out for Jake. “Try it—Columbian gold…”

_Screw it and screw you Mad Dog and Corporal Ellenbogan_! Jake swore inwardly as he took the joint and drew from it. “Thanks, man.” He coughed.

“First time, huh?” Coyote chuckled. “Don’t worry—it’s cool. Hey…” He said as he took another draw from the joint, “Me and some of the rest of us are going to the anti-war protest at the student center, wanna come with us."

“Yeah, man!” Jake grinned.

“Cool!” Coyote laughed, “Let’s blow this place.”

 

_**The present** _

“Apa!” Elizaveta chuckled, “What is it that you and anya and everyone at school say—don’t do drugs?”

Chuckling, Helen replied, “It was a different time, dear. And…we were younger…and maybe a bit more foolish…” she admitted. Her laughter dying down as she remembered her encounter with the stunt driver during that brief period when she and Jake had broken up, she concluded with a sigh of regret, “And also more than a little reckless.”

“Your mom’s right, kiddo.” Jake agreed as he once again gave his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Things were different back then. And…” he lowered his head as memories of his and Helen’s breakup resurfaced in his mind, “…we made some mistakes along the way.” His lips once again turning up in a smile he added, “But there were plenty of good times too. You know, that’s when we also met our friends Willow and Coyote.”

“Yeah.” Helen grinned, “But how we all became friends and joined a commune is a story for another time. Me and Jake met at that protest. It was a kinda…strange…and scary…first meeting…”

“I’ll say!” Jake laughed as he and Helen recounted their memories from that day.

 

_**The Past** _

“Hey…Hey…LBJ…How many babies did you kill today?”

“Make love not war!”

Chants filled the air as Helen and Willow made their way to the protest in front of the student center. Keeping the protestors back was a line of state troopers decked out in full riot gear including shields and batons. Police on horseback patrolled the periphery as the shouting grew louder.

“End the war!” Willow shouted as she and Helen threw rotten eggs at the riot cops who blocked the thrown debris from the two women and the other protesters with their shields.

“Down with the Man!” Jake shouted as he held up a clenched fist, imagining that the wall of police standing in front of the building were Corporal Ellenbogan, the Commandant of his old military school, and all the upperclassmen who had tormented him during his years at Braxton.

His eye catching sight of men wearing helmets and olive-drab uniforms and carrying rifles with bayonets attached, Coyote grabbed Jake by the arm. “Hey man—we better blow this scene quick. It’s getting ugly.”

Calming down, Jake nodded his head, “You’re right, man. Let’s split.”

As the pair began to slip away from the protest, Helen caught sight of the short-haired man trying to slip away. “The fuzz!” She yelled as she and Willow started pelting Jake with rotten eggs, hitting him in the face and the chest.

“I’m not the Man!” Jake shouted, tears beginning to flow as memories of past torments flooded his mind. “I’m not the Man!” He sobbed as he fell to his knees.

“Hey, hold up!” Coyote shouted, putting himself between Jake and the two angry women, taking a few rotten eggs in the chest himself in the process, “He’s not the Man—he’s cool. Stop! You’re hurting him!”

Coyote’s words finally registering on the two women, they rushed up to the men. Seeing the sobbing figure kneeling on the ground in front of her, runny egg yolk mixing with tears flowing down his cheeks, tears came to Helen’s eyes. Kneeling down next to the crying young man, Helen cradled him in her arms, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Taking out a handkerchief, she lifted Jake’s head by his chin, “Let me wipe that off your face.” She pleaded in a motherly tone. Then, she found herself lost as she gazed into those brown eyes of his that reflected so much pain.

Looking up into the eyes of the woman who had just so recently hurt him, Jake didn’t find a monster ready to torture him further. Instead, he found himself gazing into the eyes of an angel.

 

_**The present** _

“And that’s how the two of us met.” Helen smiled warmly as Jake squeezed her hand. “And yeah…it was love at first sight for us. But…”

“We couldn’t bring ourselves to say those words for quite a while.” Jake interjected, “It took a bad fight and us breaking up and then getting arrested in Boulder a year later before we could work up the courage to say those three words to each other.”

“But that’s yet another story for yet another day.” Helen yawned and then glancing up at the clock smiled at her, as she now considered Elizaveta to be, third daughter, “It’s 12:01. You know what that means?”

“I’m no longer grounded?” Elizaveta smiled back.

“That’s right, kiddo!” Jake exclaimed with a big grin.

“So…how are you and Angie going to celebrate your release?” Helen asked with a crooked grin.

“Oh…” Elizaveta chuckled, “You know…shopping…dinner…dancing…and lots of kissing and snuggling.”

“On that note.” Helen yawned, “I think it’s time for us all to go to bed. Good night, Elizaveta. Come on, Jake.”

“Night, kiddo.” 

“Good night, Apa…Anya.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during the episode "Too Cute", Elizaveta and Angie help a couple of new friends out of a jam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I'd like to the Kristen Bealer for permitting me to work in parts of her story, "It's Like the Beginning of an Era" into my continuity in this part. If you haven't read her story yet, do yourself a big favor and go forth and read it--you'll be glad you did. I also hope Richard Lobinske doesn't mind me slipping in Mr. Sullivan from his "Falling into College" series for a brief cameo._

“Ummm…baby…” Angie stammered slightly as she and Elizaveta walked together in the park holding hands. 

“What, szereto?” Elizaveta asked, “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Angie sighed, “Maybe.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you think that maybe we’ve been a little too rough on Stacy…and Quinn…recently?” Angie asked, her lips turned down in a worried frown.

“What do you mean/” Elizaveta asked, her body tensing slightly.

Feeling the tension in her girlfriend’s voice, Angie suggested as she noticed a bench where the pair could talk privately. “Let’s go over there so that no one bothers us.”

“Ok.” A suddenly concerned and mystified Elizaveta responded as the two girls sat down on the bench. “So…how have we been too hard on Quinn and Stacy, szereto?”

“I think maybe…” Angie replied with a sigh, “…. that Quinn was put in a tight spot and did the best that she could do to protect her friend from being humiliated.”

Thinking back on what had happened recently, Elizaveta mused thoughtfully, “Maybe. I could have been too harsh on her.” She reluctantly admitted. “It’s just that I’m not used to seeing her back down and…well…she can be rather manipulative.”

“So can we.” Angie chuckled.

“Point taken.” Elizaveta replied with a laugh, “Tiffany told me that she and Stacy have been caught in the middle between Quinn and that other girl.”

“Sandi Griffin.” Angie nodded her head, “Yeah. That doesn’t surprise me.” Smiling, she added, “And what Tiffany told you is pretty much right. I didn’t know her that well in middle school—in fact, hardly at all—but I don’t remember her acting abnormally really until a little after Brittany’s party.”

“That’s what she told me.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “She said the dumb act was to keep that other girl and Quinn off her back.”

“Makes sense.” Angie replied. “I kinda feel sorry for her and Stacy. They’re the betas trapped between two alpha females fighting for the top spot.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta acknowledged and then asked, “What sort of person is this Sandi Griffin anyway? She seems to have a good chunk of the freshman class scared to death of her.”

“A lot of it stems from her mother.” Angie replied. “Mrs. Griffin is head of marketing for KSBC and used to be an anchor woman once—in fact, she almost never shuts up about it.” The young platinum-blonde laughed. “Sandi wasn’t that bad in middle school as I remember—that is right up until the school dance. I was thinking Jodie was going to head the dance committee at the time—even then her parents were pushing her into volunteering for everything, but that year, she got out of it. So…Sandi volunteered to lead the dance committee.”

“Were you involved?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “I was on the committee—but there was no way I was going to volunteer to lead it. I figured I’d let some other sucker have that honor and, sure enough, Sandi snapped at it.”

“Who else was on the committee?” A curious Elizaveta asked.

“Stacy, Tiffany, Brittany, Upchuck—although back then, he was still Charles and still relatively normal—and …” Angie laughed, “Believe it or not—Jane.”

“Jane?!” Elizaveta exclaimed as she broke out in laughter.

“Yep.” Angie chuckled, “She ended up bailing though—ask her about it sometime. She tells the story much better than I ever could. Anyway…” She took a deep breath and exhaled, “Sandi actually did a good job getting everything organized and Upchuck had some good ideas.” Laughing, she remarked, “He even asked Sandi out to the dance and she said yes.”

“Really?” Elizaveta’s eyes opened wide.

“Really.” Angie nodded her head. “Like I said…back then, Upchuck wasn’t a bad guy. He was really more shy than anything else.” Shaking her head, her laughter faded, “That dance changed everything though for both him and Sandi. Something happened to him when the two of them went out on the floor to dance. I don’t know if he had a seizure or what, but he started trembling and then threw up all over her shoes.”

“Damn.” Elizaveta shook her head as she found herself actually feeling sorry for the redheaded young man.

“Yeah.” Angie sighed as she lowered her head, “Almost everyone—even me, I’m ashamed to say, was laughing at him.”

“Don’t blame yourself, szereto.” Elizaveta cooed as she rubbed her girlfriend’s back, “That was a couple of years ago…”

“Maybe.” Angie lowered her head, “It’s just that I can be pretty cruel sometimes.”

“And I can be a self-righteous bitch.” Elizaveta smiled, “That just makes us human beings.”

“I guess you’re right.” Angie smiled as she kissed Elizaveta on the cheek. “Anyway, it was Sandi who gave Upchuck his name for obvious reasons. That dance…” Angie shrugged her shoulders, “…gave us the Upchuck and Sandi we have today. Sandi’s mother keeps pushing her to be the queen bee—to be on top. She wants her to be just like her—a cold, cruel, uncaring witch.”

“Looks like she’s succeeding.” Elizaveta noted.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head and then remarked, “Sandi knows better than to mess with us or anyone with the exception of Upchuck outside the freshman class because she knows we’ll knock her ass back down again so hard that she won’t be getting up until her graduation day. So…she was happy to lord it over the underclassmen until…”

“Quinn arrived.” Elizaveta smirked.

“Exactly.” Angie nodded her head. “Quinn is the first direct threat she’s had to face since that dance.”

“And so the two of them do this weird dance.” Elizaveta shook her head. “Neither one of them wants to risk a direct confrontation because there’s no way they’ll know how it’ll come out.”

“Right.” Angie affirmed. “And so Stacy and Tiffany get caught in the middle.”

“Well…looks like I need to apologize to Stacy when we go back to school.” Elizaveta declared.

“You mean we do, baby.” Angie answered back, not taking no for an answer. “I’m a part of this too.”

 

Arriving at school, the two blondes immediately noticed a crowd of mostly freshmen gathered around a brown haired girl. “I wonder what’s going on.” Angie remarked as Jodie and Mack joined them.

“I think one of the wannabe Fashion Club members had something done to herself.” Mack replied, shaking his head in bemusement.

“I think the girl’s name is Brooke.” Jodie helpfully interjected. “I don’t know or care about the details though.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders, “Not our problem.” Giving her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze, she remarked, “We better get going to class before DeMartino pops a blood vessel.”

“Good idea, baby.” Angie laughed as she spoke to Jodie and Mack, “You guys coming?”

“Yeah.” Mack nodded his head. “So what’s the bet for the day?”

“Who makes DeMartino crack first? Brittany or Kevin?” Elizaveta replied with a laugh.

“Gotta be Kevin.” Jodie answered back chuckling in amusement.

“Ok, everyone else place your bets.” Angie grinned, “Same stakes as always—losers buy pizza for the winners.”

 

“Guess it’s a draw.” Elizaveta laughed as everyone exited Mr. DeMartino’s class. “It was Priscilla this time.”

“Yeah…” Angie grinned, “She normally doesn’t say or do much of anything…now we know why.”

Noticing Kevin walking down the hall with a hunch on his back, his mouth stuffed with cotton, and made up to look especially ugly, Elizaveta and Angie both approached him. “Kevin?” Angie asked, shaking her head, “Is there some reason why you’re made up to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame?”

“HrrrummamsshhhBarcshhhhh…’ Kevin mumbled, unable to talk because of the cotton in his mouth.

“Kevin…” Elizaveta commanded, “Take that stuff out of your mouth and tell us why you’re looking like you’ve been hit by a semi-truck.”

Taking the cotton out of his mouth, the QB replied, “Ms. Barch is making me do it.” He moaned, “I have to go around town like this and tomorrow she’s going to ask me a bunch of questions about it. It’s awful!” He cried, tears actually coming to his eyes. “People laugh at me and call me names and throw stuff at me, and I think someone tried to shoot me.”

Shaking her head, Angie remarked, “Damn. This is cruel—even for Barch.” 

“Yeah.” Elizaveta sighed, giving Kevin a look of sympathy. “I wouldn’t wish something like this even on Upchuck.”

Catching a glimpse of a woman who looked like it might be the science teacher about to turn his way, Kevin quickly put the cotton back in his mouth as he pointed in the woman’s direction.

Seeing Ms. Barch in the corridor with an evil smirk on her face, Angie and Elizaveta both kissed the quarterback on his cheek, “We’re sorry, Kevin. You don’t deserve this.”

Giving the girls a smile of gratitude, Kevin made his way back down the hall, trying his best to ignore the smirks and eeewwws coming from his fellow students as he shambled along his way to class.

“That’s rough.” Angie remarked as Elizaveta touched her arm. “What is it, baby?”

“It’s Stacy.” Elizaveta replied as her eyes focused on the young pig-tailed brunette walking by herself down the hall. “I think now’s a good time to talk to her…before her friends join her.”

“Good idea.” Angie agreed as the two blondes approached the young brunette.

“Uhhh…’ Stacy began to sweat until Elizaveta smiled at her.

“Relax, Stacy.” Elizaveta said in soft voice as she and Angie drew closer, “I…we…” she amended as she felt Angie’s gentle touch on her arm, “…just wanted to say that we’re sorry I…we’ve…been so hard on you.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, giving the younger teen a warm smile, “You did a stand up thing apologizing to Eddie like you did.”

“That took a lot of guts.” Elizaveta said, also flashing a friendly grin, “And we know that Quinn was doing the best she could to keep that other girl off your back. I imagine it’s been tough for you and I’m sorry if I…we…made things worse.”

“That’s ok.” Stacy smiled, “I know you were just looking out after Eddie. But…it’s so hard sometimes.” She said in a low voice, “I feel like I’m caught in a trap and I can’t think of a way out. Sandi and Quinn are both my friends and every time they go at each other they try to drag me and Tiffany in, and I feel so bad about how I treated Eddie. I’m not trying to get him back or anything like that. I know I’ve lost him and that hurts even more. And I felt so bad that I let you down when you trusted me…”

“I was pretty hard on you too, Stacy when you came to our house.” Elizaveta apologized. “I should have been more understanding. Sometimes…” She confessed, “I can be pretty tough on people…”

“And on yourself, baby.” Angie consoled, “Especially yourself.”

Elizaveta then offered the young brunette an olive branch, “Ummm…I was wondering…if you still want to…could we see some of the stuff you’ve been sewing?”

“Really?” Stacy’s eye’s opened wide as her lips turned up in wide grin, “You really want to see what I’ve done?”

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back. “How about this weekend? Me and Elizaveta were planning on checking out some vintage clothing stores on Dega Street and well…if you don’t have anything better to do…you’re welcome to join us. Then we can swing by my house and you can show us what you’ve done…”

“Please…” Elizaveta said, “…say yes. We’d love to have you join us.”

“Ok!” Stacy exclaimed, “I love going to the Funky Noodle, but I don’t get the chance to do it that often. Thank you!”

“Great.” Angie grinned, “You’ve got my number, so give me a call this week and we’ll set up a time and I’ll pick you up after I pick up Elizaveta.”

“Terrific.” Stacy smiled as she quickly jotted down a phone number, handing it to Angie just as she spotted the rest of the Fashion Club turning the corner, “Here’s my phone number.” She said handing it to the platinum-blonde cheerleader. “I gotta go now—I just spotted Sandi.”

“See you later, Stacy.” Elizaveta remarked as the young brunette dashed off. Turning to her girlfriend, she confessed, “Well…that went better than I thought it would.”

Angie held Elizaveta closer to her. “None of us are perfect.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed as the pair walked to their next class. “I guess it’s our flaws that make us human…take those away, and we lose a lot more than we gain.”

Noticing Brooke out of the corner of her eye and then overhearing Sandi and Quinn’s debate on cuteness, Angie nodded her head, “Yeah. Too bad some people haven’t figured that out yet.”

 

Their morning classes ended, the happy pair joined their friends in the cafeteria for lunch. Setting their trays down at their usual table where they sat with Jodie and Mack, along with Daria and Jane, Angie quipped, “So…what else is going on…”

“I guess you’ve heard about the girl everyone’s talking about who got that nose job? Some doctor’s opened up a clinic in the Rx Plex.” Jane smirked. “The Cluster Burger of Plastic Surgery.”

“Would you like a botox injection with that breast enlargement?” Daria quipped.

“A free nose job with every boob implant.” Jane smoothly riposted.

“I think her name’s Dr. Shar.” Jodie remarked, getting the discussion back on track again.

“That friend of Quinn’s…what’s her name?” Daria asked, her lips turned up in an amused grin.

“Sandi?” Angie’s lips turned up in a mischievous grin, “So…what did the junior barracuda do this time?

Smirking at the blonde cheerleader’s nickname for Sandi, Daria replied, “She actually came up to me and asked me to look at that girl’s nose and then asked me if I thought it was cute.”

“So…what did you say?” Elizaveta asked, her lips turned up in an evil grin as she anticipated her sister’s answer.

“I told her it’d grow out one day.” Daria replied as everyone at the table laughed.

“Good one, Daria.” Mack chuckled.

“I heard rumors about that quack from my mother.” Jodie remarked. “Stuff about malpractice suits and all.”

Elizaveta smirked as she playfully touched her lover’s nose. “You better not do anything to that nose. It’s too kissable.”

“And you better not do anything to yours.” Angie joked back as Elizaveta blushed, “I think it’s the cutest.”

“So…” Mack asked, quickly changing the subject, “What are you two planning on doing this weekend?”

“Shopping, then…if Elizaveta can swing it…we’re hoping she can sleep over at my place this weekend.” Angie replied.

“Sounds like a winning combination.” Mack joked as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. 

“Time to go.” Daria sighed, “O’Neill awaits.”

 

After their cheerleader practice, as the girls began to make their way to the locker room, Nikki inquired, “I’ve been hearing everyone talking about this plastic surgeon. Any of you know anything about that?”

“Yeah, a little.” Angie replied with a smile, “Why…thinking about getting a boob job?”

“Hell, no! I like my boobs as they are!” She laughed as she thrust out her chest. “I was just curious about what was getting all the freshies in a tizzy.”

“It seems this girl—I think her name’s Brooke—got her nose fixed and now it’s like all the freshmen want to get nose jobs too.” Elizaveta chuckled as the girls filed into the locker room to shower and change.

“Yeah.” Brittany laughed, “I heard Sandi talking about getting one.”

“Sandi needs to have a mouth job.” Elizaveta snarked.

“Yeah…as in getting it sewed shut.” Angie responded.

“No argument there.” Clarise laughed.

“Anyway…’ Lisa smirked, “Not all the girls are wanting nose or boob jobs. I was talking to Jeannette about it and she just laughed. Said for grins and chuckles, she put Eddie on the spot and asked him if she should get her boobs done and he told her that anything more than a handful was wasted.”

“Smart man.” Angie quipped and then teased playfully as she eyed Elizaveta’s bust, “Although…there is something to be said about having a nice rack…”

“Ok, you two…” Nikki joked back, her friendly laughter taking away any malice from her words, “What did we say about live sex shows in the shower?”

“Not until after the kids go to bed.” Elizaveta kidded.

“That’s right.” Nikki chuckled as she took off her sweaty clothes and made for the showers. “Don’t forget—I’ve still got my riding crop!”

“Yes, Mistress Nikki!” Angie and Elizaveta both clowned back as they also stripped and went into the showers.

“How’s Jeannette adjusting to her new popularity?” Dani asked as the girls showered, the warm water cleaning off the sweat and grime from their recent practice..

“She’s doing a pretty good job, actually.” Lisa replied as both Elizaveta and Angie echoed her words. “We’ve been hanging out together recently and she’s keeping a pretty level head about it.”

“Yeah…” Brittany commented, “I guess it’s pretty rough going from no one talking to you to everyone now inviting you to parties and wanting to get to know you and all.”

“Yeah.” Lisa nodded her head, “She’s kind of a shy person, so it throws her a little sometimes, but she’s beginning to come out of her shell some. Eddie’s been good for her.” She then chuckled, ‘She told me yesterday that she’s even thinking about trying out for the squad the next time we have open tryouts.”

“Believe it or not…” Nikki grinned, “Ms. Defoe urged her to do it.”

“Yeah.” Lisa confirmed, “Jeannette told me that she said that it was good for her creatively to step outside her comfort zone and try new things—especially things she’d never thought she’d want to do.”

“That doesn’t surprise me about Ms. Defoe.” Angie replied, speaking fondly of the art teacher, “She’s the one that talked me into going into dance.”

“She’s definitely one of the good ones.” Elizaveta concurred, echoing Angie’s affection for the art teacher.

“That’s great about Jeannette trying out!” Brittany exclaimed, “Tell her we’ll be having tryouts after the season ends. I think we’re pretty set as far as the first squad goes, but we’ve got plenty of room for alternates.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Angie agreed, “And even as an alternate she’ll get some real cheering time in during basketball season.”

“That’s right.” Elizaveta replied, also agreeing with everyone else, “There are plenty of times when one or more of us might have to miss a game for one reason or another—having an alternate or two wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“So…” Brittany asked, putting it up for the rest of the squad to vote. “Next tryouts, if Jeannette wants to join and if she looks like she’s can do it, we put her on the alternate squad.”

“Yeah!” The other girls called out in agreement.

“All right!” Brittany smiled, “She’s in if she wants it.”

 

“Hey, szereto…” Elizaveta said over the phone as she laid on her bed, “Take three guesses as to what the main topic of conversation was at dinner.”

“Hmmm…” Angie murmured into the phone, “Was it Quinn’s latest pink top?”

“Nope…That’s guess number one.” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Then it has to be about what Daria called Ms. Li in Mr. O’Neill’s class today.”

“Wrong again.” Elizaveta laughed, “Although I am surprised that didn’t come up. Last guess…”

“Ok…let’s see…all right, I’ve got it! Brooke’s nose job!”

“Ding…Ding…Ding!” Elizaveta joked. “When anya asked why she got the surgery, Quinn said it was because she had an extra bone in her nose.”

“No!” Angie giggled.

“Yes.” Elizaveta chuckled merrily. “Anya then goes off on this rant about women having to undergo plastic surgery because of a double standard and then said something about breast implants that kind of got me a little concerned.” She said, her laughter dying down. “I think she might be feeling some pressure from her bosses…”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Angie replied, her laughter fading as well. “She’s got a lot of competition from younger women lawyers who don’t mind sleeping their way to partnerships.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta sighed, “Anya won’t do that. She loves apa too much—although you might not recognize it sometimes. Anyway…” She said as she returned to the original subject, “Quinn got upset when apa asked why she wanted the surgery and she said that she wasn’t perfect and that her nose had imperfections—although the word she used was **in** perfections...”

“That’s Quinn!” Angie laughed, “A vocabulary genius.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed, “Daria told me just before I called you that she got in a dig at Quinn, offering her a stapler to fix her nose.”

“Baby!” Angie laughed, “You’re going to make me fall out of my chair—I’m laughing so hard!” Her laughter ceasing, she remarked in a serious tone, “You know, I’m beginning to really dislike this doctor. She knows just how to push these girls’ buttons.”

“Tell me about it.” Elizaveta sighed. “It’s like we were talking about earlier, they don’t realize that it’s those little flaws that make us unique.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, “Like I’ve got a little mole on my tushy.”

“I know.” Elizaveta smirked, “I think it’s adorable.”

“Thank you, baby.” Angie chuckled, “And I like that little mole you’ve got just above your happy fun place.”

“So…you like looking at my hüvely when we’re in the shower, huh?” Elizaveta whispered in a sultry voice, “You know…even though we’re waiting until the right time to do it for real…doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun over the phone, does it?”

“Not at all, baby…” Angie purred. “So…want me to tell you what I wish I could do to you right now…”

 

Shaking her head, Elizaveta whispered to her girlfriend as they were sitting in Ms. Barch’s class watching Kevin give his report. “This is too painful to watch.”

“Yeah.” Angie whispered back, “I feel sorry for Kevin.” Wincing as Brittany called Kevin a freak because of the makeup he was being forced to wear, she said to Elizaveta in a low voice, “You know I love Britt, but sometimes…”

Sighing, Elizaveta whispered back, “The irony is that she just proved Ms. Barch’s point. We do judge people by their looks.”

“You’re right.” Angie replied as she lowered her head, “I know I’m guilty of doing that.”

“Me too, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she reached over and took her girlfriend’s hand.

The girls then winced when they heard Ms. Barch order Kevin to keep his makeup on, letting slip her true intent of crushing his ego. Thankfully for the quarterback, his tormentor was distracted by Ms. Li’s voice on the loudspeaker ordering her to send Daria to the office because Quinn needed her. Elizaveta then gritted her teeth, barely repressing a curse when she heard Quinn’s voice correct the principal who had first called Daria her sister, insisting that she was her cousin.  
“You know.” Elizaveta whispered to Angie as an obviously irritated Daria walked out of the room in answer to the summons, “It’s getting harder and harder for me to stay neutral between Daria and Quinn. I’m beginning to find myself siding more and more with Daria—especially when Quinn pulls shit like that.”

“I can see why.” Angie replied sympathetically. “I can’t imagine what it must feel like for Daria every time Quinn calls her cousin or au pair or whatever else.”

“She once called her ‘strange girl who lives in my house’ when her fashion pals were over.” Elizaveta growled in a low voice. Daria tries not to let it show that Quinn’s hurting her, but I can see it in her eyes—it hurts her every time she says it.”

“So…why do you think the Princess of Pleather had Ms. Li summon Daria to her regal presence?” Angie asked as the bell rang ending Ms. Barch’s class.

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta answered as she gathered her books, “I’m sure Daria will fill me in at home though.” Letting out a deep breath, she remarked as the pair walked out the door into the hallway. “Thankfully the next class is PE. At least I can work off some of my anger there.”

“Lookout dodgeball players.” Angie laughed.

 

“Damn, Elizaveta!” Nikki exclaimed as a freshman was rubbing her behind after being hit by the young Hungarian’s dodgeball. “What got you so pissed off? That’s the third one in a row. You’re scaring the little darlings to death!”

“Quinn called Daria her cousin again.” Angie winced as a yelp indicated that yet another freshman got whacked by Elizaveta’s killer throw. “Well…there goes number four.”

Knowing that was a sore spot with her fellow cheerleader, Nikki spoke to Elizaveta in a soothing voice. “Come over here and join us, Elizaveta. Let someone else have some fun tormenting the freshies for a change.”

“All right. I’ve pretty much worked off my mad-on anyway.” Elizaveta sighed as she tossed the ball to one of the football players, “Knock yourself out, Robert.” Elizaveta said as the football player, eyeing a trembling freshman, flashed an evil grin as he went into his wind up and throw.

“Thanks, Ma’am.” Robert smirked as the freshman exited the circle, rubbing his behind.

“I hate it when Quinn does that.” Elizaveta said as she gratefully took a sip from the water bottle filled with Gatorade that Nikki handed to her. “I know Daria can fight her own battles and she’ll get Quinn back at a time and place of her choosing…but still…she is her sister—that should mean something.”

You know, baby…” Angie observed as she placed a comforting arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders, “I’ve got a feeling that you might have been an only child like me or you had a brother or sister who was a lot older than you. But I don’t think you had any brothers or sisters close to you in age.”

“Angie might be right.” Nikki pointed out. “I’m the middle kid in my family. I really look up to my older brother, but my younger one—well…let’s just say while he’s not as bad as Quinn is to Daria, he can make me mad sometimes.”

“I know if I had a baby brother or sister I’d want to be as close to them as possible.” Angie remarked in a rueful voice. “You know, mostly I like being an only child. But there are times I wish I had a brother or sister.”

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta answered with a sigh, “Maybe you guys are right. Maybe I didn’t have any brothers or sisters I could relate to so I’m wanting me and Daria and Quinn to all get along and love each other…”

“And that’s not the way it works.” Nikki said with a smile, “Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t love my little brother—I do—and if anyone where to hurt him, me smacking that person hard enough to draw blood and leave scars with my riding crop would be the least that jerk would have to worry about. But…that doesn’t mean I still don’t think my baby brother’s a brat most of the time.”

As the bell rang to end class for the day, Nikki grinned as the freshmen rapidly made their escape from the dodgeball circle. “Well…looks like Robert barely missed your record.” She quipped as Stacy nervously approached. Seeing the young freshman draw closer, Nikki smirked as she made her way to the locker room. “I see you guys in a bit. I’m going to hit the showers before all the hot water gets used up.”

“What is it, Stacy?” Elizaveta asked in a kindly voice as the young brunette approached.

“Ummm…I was wondering if I could ask you something?” Stacy pleaded.

“Of course you can.” Angie replied, “What is it?”

“Sandi’s pushing me and Tiffany to go to Dr. Shar’s and get nose jobs. We were supposed to go with Quinn today, but Sandi decided that we would go yesterday.”

“She’s playing her games with Quinn again.” Angie sighed.

“And we’re caught in the middle.” Stacy agreed.

“You don’t need a nose job and Tiffany doesn’t need one either.” Elizaveta declared, “Besides, your parents would have to sign off on the surgery and I’ve got a feeling they wouldn’t—at least not in your case.”

“You’re right.” Stacy nodded her head, “Mine wouldn’t. But when I told Dr. Shar that, she said not to worry about it. She said something about mistakes happening when forms get filled out.”

“That’s interesting.” Angie noted.

“And illegal, I think.” Elizaveta remarked and then asked, “So…what are you and Tiffany going to do?”

“Well…” Stacy sighed, “Sandi went on ahead and made the appointment for herself and made sure that we made appointments too, but…she couldn’t get us on the same day, so ours is after hers.”

Her lips turning up in a wicked grin, Elizaveta instructed, “Stacy…you and Tiffany are going to skip your appointments. Here’s what you two are going to do…” She then whispered into the pig-tailed brunette’s ear.

Stacy’s lips turning up in a smile, she exclaimed, “Thank you, Elizaveta! I’ll tell Tiffany what to do and we’ll do it.”

As the young girl skipped away, Angie turned to her girlfriend and smirked, “Ok…you going to tell me what you just told her?”

Smiling, Elizaveta whispered into Angie’s ear. Her grin widening, the platinum-blonde cheerleader declared, “I love it. So… that takes care of Stacy and Tiffany, but I’ve got a feeling you’ve got something else cooked up, and don’t tell me you don’t—I know that look in your eyes.”

“You’re right, I do.” Elizaveta grinned, “Can you give me a lift to anya’s office after school?”

 

After hearing her ward recount her conversation with Stacy regarding Dr. Shar falsifying age of consent documents, Helen frowned, “Would you two be willing to testify in court if it comes to that?” Smiling as both girls nodded their heads in agreement, Helen spoke into her intercom, “Marianne? Could you get the district attorney’s office for me please?”

“Yes, Ms. Morgendorffer.” Helen’s office assistant answered back. Moments later the phone rang. “Hello.” Helen responded as she spoke into the phone. “Yes. They’re here with me now. I will. Thank you.” Turning to the girls seated on the other side of her desk, Helen smiled, “That was the district attorney’s office. They’re asking if you can come in and swear out a statement.”

“Can you come with us, anya?” Elizaveta pleaded.

“Of course, sweetie.” Helen smiled, “You girls ready?”

“Let’s do this.” Angie exclaimed as the pair stood up.

After a short drive, Helen and the two teens with her arrived at the courthouse and were promptly ushered into an office where an attractive blond-haired man in his thirties wearing a blue suit sat behind a desk. “Mr. Sullivan, I presume?” Helen inquired.

Closing the folder he was reading, the man smiled. “Ms. Morgendorffer?” Taking Helen’s single nod of her head as confirmation, he gestured at three chairs in front of the seat. “Please…sit down.” His eyes focusing on the two blondes seated next to each other holding hands, he remarked, “And these must be the two girls we were talking about on the phone?”

“Yes.” Helen replied, gesturing first towards Elizaveta and then the girl sitting next to her ward, “This is Elizaveta and her girlfriend, Angie.”

“Ladies.” Mr. Sullivan smiled in greeting. His smile fading away, he remarked, “I’ve read your case file, Ms. Bathory—amnesia—no record of parents or where you came from. That’s going to make it difficult for us to put you on the stand.”

“What about me?” Angie inquired, “If you don’t want Elizaveta to testify, I will.”

“Problem is…the defense will probably insist on calling Elizaveta to the stand and might be able to use her lack of background to sway a jury.” Seeing the dejected look on the two girls’ faces, the district attorney opened a file folder, “However…that doesn’t mean we’re not going to go after Dr. Shar. I said it would be difficult to put you on the stand—not impossible. Your doctor is willing to swear that you’re mentally competent, Ms. Bathory and more than capable of making rational decisions. That, plus your school record as well as your guardian’s signed statement should be more than enough to counter any moves by the defense to tarnish your testimony—should it even come to a trial.”

“You don’t think she’ll stand trial?” Helen inquired.

“Doubtful.” Mr. Sullivan replied, “Much as I’d like to nail her to the wall, most likely, we’ll reach a plea bargain where she’ll have to pay a fine and offer restitution.. Of course…that doesn’t mean she won’t be able to get away from paying damages as a result of possible civil suits or probably losing her license when the AMA gets through with her. Don’t worry…” His gaze focused on the two girls seated across from him, “We’re going to make sure Dr. Shar doesn’t get away with this.”

“Good.” Elizaveta nodded her head in satisfaction, “That’s all we want.”

“Excellent. I’ve gotten a warrant to send an undercover policewoman we use for jobs like this—she can easily pass for an underage teenager. She’ll be wearing a wire and hopefully, that’ll give us what we need for a search warrant so that we can go into the good doctor’s files.” Mr. Sullivan declared as he rose from his seat and extended his hand. “Thank you, ladies. You’ve done us a great service today. I’ll be in touch with you if we have further need for you.”

“Thank you Mr. Sullivan.” Helen smiled back as she ushered the teenage girls out of the office. “We look forward to hearing from you.” As Helen and the two girls with her left the office building, she smiled at them. “I’m proud of both of you for what you just did. Come on…there’s a bistro down the street—my treat.”

 

After being permitted entry into Daria’s sanctum, Elizaveta smirked as she sat down at the corner of the bed while her sister was talking on the phone. “So…what did Her Highness drag you off to?”

Her lips turning up in a slight grin, Daria replied, “I’m telling Jane about it now…here…you can listen in. Jane?” She spoke into the phone, “I’m going to let Elizaveta listen in—is that ok?”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Jane replied.

“Ok…” Daria recounted, “Quinn wanted an alibi for skipping school to go to that plastic surgeon.”

“What happened?” Jane asked as Elizaveta listened in.

Shaking her head, Daria recounted their experience at Dr. Shar’s Swan Shoppe. “So…she says that for six thousand dollars she can make Quinn look like her and for twenty grand she can fix me up to look like Quinn. She then gave me some fake boobs…” She said as she handed Elizaveta the plastic blobs. Chuckling, she responded, “I’ll ask her.” Turning to Elizaveta, Daria relayed, “Jane says that since yours are real, she wants to know how you keep from getting backaches.”

Taking the phone from Daria, Elizaveta responded, “They’re not that big—Brittany’s are bigger. Besides…Angie likes the girls.” Hearing Jane’s laughter, the blonde cheerleader handed the phone back to her sister.

“Very funny, Jane.” Daria remarked, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Turning to her sister, Daria shook her head, “Jane said I only needed one fake boob.” Putting the phone away, she quipped, “So…I hear you’ve been terrorizing the freshmen at dodgeball.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied with a sigh, “I had to work out some issues.”

“Look…” Daria said with a rare warm smile on her face, “I know you don’t like it when Quinn calls me her cousin or whatever and I don’t like it much either, but it’s ok—really. Pretty much everyone knows the truth at that school anyway.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “You saw to that a while back.”

“Right.” Daria nodded her head. “What I’m trying to say is whenever she does that, it only makes her look more like an idiot than she already is—which is something I’m more than happy to let her do to herself. So…don’t let yourself get worked up over it—ok?”

“Ok, Daria.” Elizaveta smiled, “I’ll try not to.”

“And if you do decide to go on another dodgeball spree—be sure to let me know so that I can watch.”

“Will do, Daria.” Elizaveta laughed as he got up to leave the room.

“Oh…” Daria said as her sister walked out of the room, “And Elizaveta…thanks.”

 

Catching Stacy and Tiffany in the hallway, Angie and Elizaveta pulled them into the girls room. Checking to be sure no one was in any of the stalls, Elizaveta handed the two girls bandaids. “Here…” She smirked, “You know where these go.”

“Yeah.” Both girls grinned as they placed the bandaids on their noses to make it look like they had cosmetic surgery done.

“Now remember…you’re going to tell Sandi and Quinn that you kept your appointment and had the work done…right?”

“Right.” Stacy nodded her head.

“Ok, girls.” Angie chuckled, “Go forth and bullshit.”

Laughing, Elizaveta quipped, “You think Sandi really went through with getting a nose job?”

“I’m sure.” Angie laughed, “I’ll bet her mother actually signed that consent form too.”

Exiting the girls room a little after the other girls, smirks appeared on Angie’s and Elizaveta’s faces as they saw the scene being played out before them. Sure enough, Quinn was upset, accusing the rest of the Fashion Club of having nose jobs done without her. As the other girls stayed silent during Sandi and Quinn’s verbal jousting match, Angie touched Elizaveta’s elbow, directing her to where Brooke was approaching the fashionistas.

“Looks like someone went back for more servicing.” Angie quipped as the blondes overheard Quinn express her dismay at Brooke’s artificially enhanced appearance. “Body work this time it looks like.”

“I wonder if Dr. Shar threw in a complementary oil change and lube job.” Elizaveta laughed.

“She had to.” Angie joked back, “Take a look at those lips…she had to get that fat from her ass.”

Listening in on the conversation, Elizaveta remarked, “I didn’t know Stacy and Tiffany were so good at spreading the bull.”

“They have to be to hang out with those two barracudas.” Angie joked back.

Then, hearing Sandi’s parting shot, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in an evil grin, “Ouch…that hurt.”

“Yep.” Angie nodded her head, “Sandi takes this round.” Watching as the Fashion Club walked away, the platinum-blonde chuckled, “Looks like the show’s over.”

Noticing Daria breaking out the fake boobs that Dr. Shar had given her as she talked to Jane, Elizaveta smirked, “Come on…the second show’s about to start.”

“Let’s hold up for a moment.” Angie said as they saw Kevin walking away from the other two girls and Upchuck approaching them. “This should be interesting.”

Moments later, the two blondes laughed as they saw Upchuck suddenly turn pale and run away. Approaching Daria and Jane, Angie smirked as she saw the implants, “Those the fake boobs?”

“Yup.” Jane grinned. “If that was his reaction to the fakes, I wonder how he’d respond to the real thing.”

“In a dead faint.” Elizaveta laughed as Quinn approached.

“Daria…” Quinn exclaimed, and then seeing Jane and the two cheerleaders, commanded, “Shoo…shoo..”

“Szereto…” Elizaveta said with a dangerous look in her eyes as she glowered at her younger sister, “Do you see that empty locker over there just waiting for someone to fill it?”

“I sure do, baby.” Angie, with an equally menacing look on her face, declared in a quiet voice as she glared at Quinn. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.” Elizaveta responded as Quinn, her eyes widening as she finally recognized the danger facing her in the form of two very angry cheerleaders, gulped a nervous “Eep”.

Seeing the subtle shake of Daria’s head, Jane momentarily warred with her conscience as part of her wanted to fulfill her friend’s non-verbal request, while another wanted to watch as the two blondes carried out their threat to stuff Quinn in the locker. The better part of her nature finally winning out, Jane placed an arm around each cheerleader’s shoulders, “Come on, Barbies. Let’s go talk to Eddie and Jeannette.”

As soon as she got the two blondes out of earshot of Daria and Quinn, Jane asked with a smirk on her face, “Would you girls really have shoved Quinn in that locker?”

“In a heartbeat.” Elizaveta responded as Angie nodded her head in agreement.

“Damn!” Jane cursed in a low voice, the grin still on her face, “Next time, I’m not listening to that goodie-goodie angel on my shoulder.”

Watching from a distance, Jane and the Barbies waited until Quinn strode away. As they approached Daria, she quipped, “I should have let you shove her in that locker.”

“What did she want?” Elizaveta asked.

“She wanted to borrow six thousand dollars for cosmetic surgery.” Daria answered back with a shake of her head. “I told her to take up a collection.” Taking a deep breath as the other girls laughed, Daria quipped, “I’m making you all pay for my therapy.”

 

As the hallways filled with students going to their last period classes, Elizaveta and Angie paused by their lockers as they overheard Daria trying to cheer Quinn up. “You know Daria’s right.” Elizaveta sighed, “Quinn’s a very attractive girl. She doesn’t need plastic surgery to make her look good.”

“Yeah. Too bad she doesn’t realize that.” Angie nodded her head in agreement as the pair made their way towards Daria who was a that moment shaking her head as Quinn took off to join up with Stacy and Tiffany.

“Wonder what’s got them all so excited.” Elizaveta murmured as she nodded her head towards the gossiping Fashion Club girls.

“Just wait a bit and we’ll find out.” Angie replied as the two cheerleaders and Daria patiently waited until Quinn had departed. Then calling Stacy and Tiffany over, she asked, “Ok, girls…what was that all about?”

“You haven’t heard?” Stacy exclaimed.

“Heard what?” Elizaveta inquired.

“Brooke.” Tiffany declared, using her normal voice once she was sure that Sandi and Quinn weren’t around to hear her. “She had a nasal relapse.”

“What?” Angie exclaimed.

“We were just talking…” Tiffany recounted, “…and her nose just collapsed.”

“You’re not kidding, are you?” Daria interjected.

“No.” Stacy shook her head. “We were both there when it happened. “They had to rush her to the hospital for emergency surgery.”

“Damn.” Elizaveta sighed, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany agreed. “Sandi has to go to the hospital too to make sure that the same thing doesn’t happen to her.”

“A lot of the other girls who got plastic surgery there are having to do the same thing.” Stacy declared in a somber voice, adding, “I’m glad I didn’t get mine done like Sandi wanted me to.”

“Me too.” Tiffany agreed.

“We’re glad you didn’t do it also.” Elizaveta and Angie both announced as Daria nodded her head in agreement.

“If you repeat this…” The auburn-haired teen warned Stacy and Tiffany, “I’ll deny ever having said it and then I will hunt you two down. You both showed a lot of good sense by not listening to Quinn and Sandi this time.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled at both of the freshmen girls. “In your own way, you stood up to both of them—way to go.”

“Ummm…thanks.” Stacy smiled and then pleaded as she glanced at Tiffany. “Elizaveta…Angie…would it be all right if Tiffany joined us tomorrow when we go clothes shopping and all?”

Seeing her girlfriend nod her head in agreement, Angie grinned, “Sure…why not.” Turning to Tiffany, the platinum-blonde cheerleader suggested, “Elizaveta told me that your mom’s afraid you’ll get gay cooties if you hang out with us, so it might be better for me to pick you up at Stacy’s house after I pick up Elizaveta. That sound good to you?”

“Yeah.” Tiffany nodded her head in agreement.

“Great. I’ll pick you up then.” Turning to her girlfriend, she gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Well baby…one more class and then it’s the weekend.”

“Let’s go, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as she returned Angie’s kiss. “See you all later.”

 

“Come on, baby.” Angie grinned as she met her girlfriend at the front door of the Morgendorffer house, “Let’s get going. We’ve got to pick up Stacy and Tiffany and then go shopping and then back to my place.” Noticing the overnight bag Elizaveta was carrying, Angie’s grin turned into a leer, “I take it your mom and dad said it was ok for you to sleep over?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta leered back, “I had to promise anya that I’d wear at least a sleep shirt and panties in bed and that we’d keep the bedroom door open a crack and then she called your anya and made sure she understood her conditions.”

“Doesn’t she realize we’ve seen each other naked several times already?” Angie laughed.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “But I think it’s the naked in bed thing that has her worried.”

“Well…” Angie smirked as the pair got into her car, “She didn’t say anything about us cuddling up to each other in bed.”

“Nope.” Elizaveta replied, raising her eyebrows suggestively, “She sure didn’t.”

After picking up Stacy and Tiffany at Stacy’s house and meeting for the first time Stacy’s parents, which went surprisingly well, Angie and Elizaveta took the younger girls clothes shopping with them. As the group entered the Funky Noodle, Stacy gasped in delight, “Isn’t it great here? I just love all these old clothes!” she exclaimed as she held up outfits from the sixties and seventies on the racks.

“Let’s see if they’ve got some flapper dresses.” Angie said as they approached a salesperson.

“I think we’ve got some dresses that’ll suit you two just fine.” The sales clerk said as she ushered the girls towards the back of the store. “What do you think of these?” She asked as she held up two dresses, one black and silver with black fringes and matching long black gloves, and the other also black but with silver trim and fringes and matching long black gloves as well. “They also include matching hats and shoes.” She said.

“What do you think, szereto?” Elizaveta asked.

“We’ll take ‘em.” Angie exclaimed as both blondes took out their credit cards.

“Great.” The salesperson said and then cautioned, “I’m afraid we don’t do alterations. So…you still want them?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Stacy interjected with a smile, “I can make adjustments if you need them and if they’re too tough for me, I’m sure my mom will be glad to.”

“Yeah.” Both blondes nodded their heads in agreement.

“Terrific. Let me ring everything up for you.” The salesgirl smiled as she totaled up the order and then handed the girls’ cards back to them along with their outfits. “Wear them in good health.”

“Let’s get back home.” Angie grinned, “I can’t wait to try these out.”

 

Smiling warmly as the four teenage girls entered her home, all carrying bags, Jessica Harmon announced, “Make yourselves at home girls. I’ve got some coffee cake I just baked ready and sodas.”

Smiling, Tiffany and Stacy responded, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

“You and Elizaveta want your usual?” Jessica asked her daughter.  
“Thanks, Mom.” Angie replied with a grin as the girls sat down on the sofa or the carpeted floor. “You’re going to love my Mom’s coffee cake.” Angie declared as Jessica came in with cans of soda and two cups of hot tea.

“Help yourselves.” Mrs. Harmon said as she set the tray down and then withdrew back to the kitchen. “I’ll leave you girls alone to talk.”

“You’ve got a nice mom.” Tiffany said as she bit into a piece of cake, her lips turning up in a wide smile.

“Told you it was good.” Angie grinned as she took a sip of her tea.

“Beats cheeseless pizza all to hell doesn’t it.” Elizaveta quipped as she ate some of the cake and then took a sip of tea.

“Yeah.” Stacy smiled as she bit into a slice of cake. “This is yummy.”

“Angie, dear!” Mrs. Harmon called out from the kitchen. “You might want to turn on the news for a moment.”

“Ok, Mom.” Angie called back as she turned on the TV. “Well, all right!” Angie cheered as the screen showed two police officers carting out files from the Swan Shoppe, the storefront displaying a ‘Closed—Out of Business’ sign. As the scene played out the news anchor’s voice announced…

_“Lawndale police executed a search warrant today at the Swan Shoppe following an undercover police investigation into allegations of fraudulent practices by its proprietor, Dr. Veronica Shar. The Swan Shoppe, located at Rx Plex, was recently opened by Dr. Shar as a walk-in walk-out cosmetic surgery center. The district attorney’s office had no comment for our reporters, stating that a full statement would be released shortly. This is Richard Mandrake for KSBC News.”_

“Wow!” Stacy exclaimed as Mrs. Harmon came into the room. “I wonder what’s going to happen now.”

“She should at a minimum lose her license and pay out a lot of money.” Jessica declared as she entered the room, holding a cup of tea in her hand, adding, “I wish they’d give her jail time, but I’ve got a feeling she’s probably going to weasel out of it.”

“Probably.” Elizaveta sighed, “But at least she won’t be ruining anyone else’s life like she did to Brooke.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany agreed, “I’m glad we didn’t do it like Sandi wanted us to.”

“Their first act of rebellion.” Angie said with a grin as she hugged her girlfriend, “Our girls are growing up.”

“They grow up so fast.” Elizaveta chuckled as Tiffany and Stacy rolled their eyes.

Getting up and going to the bags, Stacy announced, “I made these for you all…I hope you like them.” She then handed each of the girls in the room a throw pillow and a handbag.

“They’re beautiful.” Elizaveta gasped as she held the pillow in her hands. Then picking up the handbag, she smiled, “I’ve been looking for a handbag…thank you!”

“Thank you…” Stacy said with a warm smile as tears of happiness came to her eyes, “For giving me a second chance. I won’t let you down this time.”

“We know, Stacy.” Angie smiled back at the young brunette. Then, turning to her girlfriend, she suggested, “Ready to try on the dresses, baby?”

“Sure.” Elizaveta smiled as she and Angie made their way up the stairs with their dresses. “We’ll be back in a bit.” Several minutes later, the girls came down wearing their flapper outfits.

“Not bad, girls.” Jessica grinned approvingly. “You’re going to knock them dead at Alessandro’s in a couple of weeks.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany agreed and then commented, “I didn’t know they had dresses that short back then. I thought they were all long and ugly.”

“Oh no!” Jessica exclaimed, “If you’re into fashions, the twenties were a great time.” She then took out a book on fashions during the twentieth century and turned it to the section on the Roaring Twenties. “Here…look at these.”

“Wow!” Stacy exclaimed, “Look at those outfits.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany commented as she looked at the pictures, “Look at their hair…”

“Good catch.” Jessica praised, “A lot of women were cutting their hair shorter back then. Believe it or not, that’s how beauty parlors got their start because the girls used to have to either cut their hair themselves or go to a man’s barber shop.”

“Really?” Stacy’s eyes opened wide, “They actually had to go to barber shops?”

“Yeah.” Jessica laughed. “Can you imagine going into a barber shop to get your hair done and having to sit next to some guy smoking a big cigar and breaking wind?”

“Ewwww…” Both Tiffany and Stacy cringed as that picture popped into their minds.

Laughing along with the girls, Jessica quipped, “Yeah…not my idea of how to spend a Saturday afternoon either.”

The rest of the evening went quickly as the girls talked and laughed until, Mrs. Harmon announced, “Ok, girls…time for you to go home.” Turning to her daughter and Elizaveta, she suggested, “Why don’t you girls clean up while I take Stacy and Tiffany back to Stacy’s. It’ll give me a chance to catch up with Janice.” She declared, talking about Stacy’s mother.

“Sure thing, Mom.” Angie replied as Stacy and Tiffany gathered their stuff together. “See you girls later.” Angie exclaimed as the two younger teens made their way to the door, “And thanks again, Stacy.”

“Yeah, thanks!” Elizaveta exclaimed as well as the girls departed. Then, going into the kitchen, she began washing the dishes as Angie dried them. “I’m glad we were able to patch things up with Stacy.” She said in a soft voice, “You were right. I was too hard on her earlier. I still can’t believe Quinn though. How easy she fell for Dr. Shar’s bull.”

“Yeah…and how she let Sandi get to her.” Angie agreed. As the last of the dishes was washed and put away, Angie leered, “Ok…we’re all done and we have the house to ourselves…you know what that means, baby?”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta purred with a grin on her face as her eyes turned up to the second floor, “Time for snuggles.”

Taking her girlfriend by the hand, Angie grinned as the pair rushed up the stairs, “That’s right!”

Arriving home later in the evening, Mrs. Harmon walked quietly up the stairs to see her daughter’s room opened a crack. Peering in, a warm smile appeared on her face as she saw her daughter and girlfriend, both wearing sleep shirts, cuddled up next to each other, fast asleep. Closing the door, she quietly walked away, the smile still on her face.

Feeling the warm body lying next to her as she awoke the next morning, Elizaveta smiled as she gently kissed her girlfriend on the lips, “Jó reggelt, szereto.”

“Mmmm… Jó reggelt, baby.” Angie responded as she kissed Elizaveta back. “You know…” she whispered, “…I could get used to this.”

“Then we have to do this more often.” Elizaveta whispered back.

“Sounds good to me.” Angie sighed as she nestled in closer, “Let’s just stay here a while…breakfast can wait.”


	15. Ducking and Covering in the Big House

“Thanks for the lift, Mack. ‘Night, Jodie.” Elizaveta smiled as she got out of Mack’s car. Then, leaning over, she gave Angie a kiss on the lips, “See you tomorrow, szereto.”

“Tomorrow, baby.” Angie replied as she kissed her girlfriend back.

Waving goodbye as the car pulled out, Elizaveta entered the Morgendorffer home to find her guardians sitting on the couch, Helen with her legal pad on her lap and pen in one hand and cell phone in the other, writing furiously on the pad as she talked with her boss. Her other guardian, Jake was seated next to her drinking a martini as he watched the business channel. Walking over to her guardians, she kissed both of them on the cheek.

“Hey, kiddo.” Jake grinned affably as Helen smiled back, gesturing at the phone in her hand.

Nodding her head in understanding, Elizaveta pointed upstairs, receiving in return an acknowledging nod from her step-mother as her step-father wished her a good night. Entering her room, she slipped out of her clothes and then in between the sheets of her bed and almost immediately drifted off to sleep. For once, Elizaveta’s sleep was peaceful and dreamless until it was broken by Jake’s sudden shout of alarm. Jumping out of bed, she slipped on the skimpy blue silk robe that barely covered her nakedness and darted out of her room.

“What’s happening?” The blonde teenager exclaimed as Helen and Jake exited their room. Turning on the lights, they immediately spotted Daria and Quinn obviously trying to sneak back to their rooms.

“It’s ok, Elizaveta.” Helen called out, “We’ve got it, go on back to bed.”

“Ok, anya.” Elizaveta responded as she went back into her room and closed the door. Taking her robe off, she slipped back between her sheets. “Sorry Daria…Quinn…but better you than me.”

 

“Hey, baby.” Angie gave her girlfriend a quick kiss as Elizaveta entered the car on the passenger side and buckled up.

“Hi, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as she returned Angie’s kiss. “Let’s get the hell out of here—fast.”

“What’s going on?” Angie asked as she pulled out on to the street.

Sighing, Elizaveta shook her head, “Daria and Quinn got caught last night sneaking in and that started a shit-storm.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Anya accused them of breaking curfew and when Daria pointed out we didn’t have a curfew…”

“Wait…I thought you did?” Angie interjected.

“I do. I don’t know if Daria and Quinn have one or not to be honest—I never gave it much thought. Now’s not a good time to bring up to my anya and apa whether I have a curfew or not though.” Elizaveta shook her head. “Anya’s not in a good mood. This morning, she said something about setting boundaries and then Quinn opened her big mouth about how late curfews should only apply to attractive and popular people…”

“Well…” Angie snickered, “…she does have a point. “I mean, I like that you’ve got a late curfew and you’re attractive…”

“What about popular?” Elizaveta laughed.

“That’s a given baby. You are popular with me. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

“I feel the same about you, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled as she placed her hand on Angie’s thigh. Then, taking a deep breath, she continued her narrative. “Daria got in her usual jabs and anya took out a couple of legal pads with a bunch of rules written on them—kind of like the Ten Commandments.” The young Hungarian laughed.

Laughing with her girlfriend, Angie asked, “So…how did that go?”

“How’d you think it went.” Elizaveta giggled, “Quinn said she had a date and then when anya pointed to one of the rules that said no dates on school nights, she said that it wasn’t a ‘date…date’ but was an algebra study group.”

“Yeah…” Angie snorted, “Right.”

“Exactly.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Anyway, anya lets her slip out of it, but tells her she’s got to sign in when she gets home.”

“Sounds like she just gave Quinn enough rope to hang herself with.” Angie laughed.

“Right.” Elizaveta chuckled and continued telling her story, “Then, Daria looks like she’s about to protest, but anya warns her about ‘persistent questioning’…” Elizaveta rolled her eyes and half-joked, “Think I can move in with you, szereto, until things cool off.” 

“I’d let you stay in a heartbeat, baby. There’s nothing I’d love more than to wake up next to you in bed every morning.” Angie sighed, “But I got a feeling if you did that…”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta nodded her head, “There’d be hell to pay. Still…it’s a nice fantasy.”  
“Work’s got anya stressed.” Elizaveta explained. “When I came home last night, I caught her on the phone talking to one of her bosses with that legal pad on her lap writing like a madwoman. When I got apa alone this morning, he told me that she’s working on a difficult case and has been barely sleeping.”

“So you think your step-mom’s just overwhelmed?” Angie asked.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “I think if Daria and Quinn had just gone along with what she said about meeting this evening to establish boundaries, she’d have cooled down enough to deal with everything rationally—or—more likely—she’d have just forgotten all about it. But when they talked back, it set her off and now everything’s a mess.”

“I don’t know…it sounds like she was going to clamp down regardless—I mean it must have taken her some time to come up with those Commandments of hers.” Angie pointed out.

“Maybe…. yeah…you’re right. She’s been more and more upset at both Daria and Quinn recently.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement. “Last night might have just catalyzed things.”

“Probably.” Angie nodded her head. “So…what are you going to do, baby?”

“What else?” Elizaveta sighed, shrugging her shoulders,“Lie low, keep my mouth shut, and do the best I can to stay out of the line of fire.”

“That’s probably the best course of action.” Angie agreed as she pulled into her usual parking space in the student parking lot. “Well…let’s hope things at school go better.”

“They can’t get any worse.” Elizaveta chuckled as the pair got out of the car and made their way to the school.

“Careful what you say, baby.” Angie laughed. “You know what they say happens when you mention the devil’s name…”

 

“Hey, Mack! Jodie!” Angie called out as she and Elizaveta, walking hand in hand, met up with their friends in front of their lockers. “Ready for DeMartino’s quiz?”

“As ready as we’ll ever be.” Mack smiled. “Last night’s study session helped me nail a few things down.”

“Me too.” Elizaveta agreed. 

“So…you guys got your tickets yet for the Faculty-DJ roller hockey game?” Jodie asked with an impish grin.

“Huh?” Elizaveta responded as Angie broke out laughing.

“We’ve got to go, baby!” Angie exclaimed as she handed money over to Jodie, “We’ll take two tickets.” She declared as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, “My treat.” Turning to Mack and Jodie she then asked, “Is there a pool?”

“Hell yeah.” Mack laughed.

“Great.” Angie grinned, “Put me down for the end of the second period.” She then explained to a thoroughly confused Elizaveta, “Last year, Rock-n-Roll Randy—you know—that classic rock DJ—body checked Mr. DeMartino…”

“Yeah.” Mack interjected, picking up the narrative, “After it happened, Mr. DeMartino began clutching his chest and collapsed on the floor.”

“He had a heart attack and had to undergo emergency angioplasty.” Jodie added. “So this year we’ve got a pool going…”

“Put me down for half way through the first period.” Elizaveta chuckled, “I saw him sneaking a smoke yesterday.” 

“So…” Mack asked, “What else is going on?”

“Well…we’ve got a rehearsal for our upcoming dance recital.” Angie remarked.

“Yeah?” Jodie responded, “How’s everything looking?”

“Pretty good.” Elizaveta replied, “We found someone to take over for Jennifer after she quit…”

“She was afraid of catching the gay pox.” Angie sneered as her girlfriend placed a gentle hand on her arm.

“She’s not worth getting worked up over, szereto.” Elizaveta said in a soothing voice as Jodie and Mack voiced their agreement.

“Yeah.” Jodie said in a supportive voice, “You’ve got more people here like us than like her.”

“I know.” Angie smiled back at her friends. “Sometimes I just have to vent a little.”

“So…’ Mack inquired, returning to the original subject, “The new dancer’s fitting in well?”

Nodding her head, Elizaveta replied, “Yeah. It didn’t take her that long to pick up the routine.”

“I think you guys are going to love it when we take it live.” Angie grinned, her bad mood dispelled.

“Everything ok on the home front?” Jodie asked as the foursome began to make their way to Mr. DeMartino’s class.

Shaking her head, Angie chuckled, “Ask Elizaveta…”

Sighing, the young blonde recounted what she had earlier told her girlfriend about Daria and Quinn getting caught sneaking in the night before and the morning fallout. “So…” she let out a breath, “…we now have to sign in and out whenever we’re going to be late and we’ve got to follow the Ten Commandments or else…”

“Damn.” Mack shook his head, “How’re you handling it.”

“How else?” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders as she took her seat, “I’m doing my best Bert the Turtle imitation—I’m ducking and covering!”

 

“Very good, girls!” Ms. Defoe grinned as she clapped her hands. “You’ve got the moves down just right, Chrissie!”

“She sure does.” Angie remarked as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel.

“Yeah…your timing was just right, Chrissie.” Elizaveta praised as she took a drink of water.

“Thanks.” The chestnut-haired Chrissie replied. “I was kinda nervous for a bit, but then once I picked up on the melody, everything just came together.”

“You think we’re ready, Ms. Defoe?” Angie asked.

“Almost.” The art teacher nodded her head, “A couple more rehearsals and then a dress rehearsal or two with the concert band and we should be good to go.”

“Great.” Elizaveta exclaimed as she and Angie turned to the new girl, “Why don’t you join us for pizza?”

“Love to.” Chrissie grinned.

“Great!” Angie smiled, “Let’s go.”

 

“So…what’s the lowdown on the guys?” Chrissie asked as she bit into her pizza. “I figure that since you two are well…involved with each other…you could give me a more unbiased picture.

“What do you want to know?” Angie asked.

“You know…the usual…who’s ok and who to stay away from…” Chrissie responded.

“Well…” Elizaveta answered back as she took a sip of soda, “It depends on what you’re looking for.”

“I’m not looking for a quickie or anything like that.” Chrissie declared, “But I’m also not looking for Mr. Right either. I just want to date someone who’s fun and knows what the word no means.”

“What about Derek and Mark…” Angie suggested as Elizaveta nodded her head.

“Yeah…either one of those would be good choices.” The blonde cheerleader nodded her head in agreement. “Just don’t go out with either one of them more than two or three times unless you’re looking to get serious.” She warned.

“Thanks…good to know.” Chrissie smiled, “Any other prospects?”

“Hmm…” Angie gave the matter some thought before responding, “Do you want them beefy and dumb or do you want someone to have an intelligent conversation with?”

“He definitely has to have more than two brain cells in his head.” Chrissie chuckled.

“What about Robert?” Elizaveta asked, “He’s polite and generally a pretty good guy.”

“Maybe…” Angie replied, but then cautioned, “Thing is, he’s kinda quiet. Doesn’t say a lot.”

“Sometimes that can be a good thing.” Chrissie snorted.

“True.” Angie and Elizaveta laughed.

“So…” Chrissie inquired, “Who should I stay away from?”

“Besides the guys already attached to someone?” Seeing Chrissie’s nod of the head, Angie continued, “Avoid Skylar Feldman and Brad Phillips like the plague—they’re both bad news.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “And we don’t have to tell you about Upchuck.”

“No.” Chrissie almost gagged, “I had the bad luck to run into him my first day. Almost kneed him in his nuts.”

“You should have.” Angie laughed.

“There are a few others, but you’ll figure them out pretty quick.” Elizaveta said as she glanced down at her watch.

“Gotta go?” Angie asked.

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta replied, “Things are tense enough back home, I don’t want to take any chances of being late until the heat dies down.”

“Ok, baby.” Angie replied as the two blondes got up. “We’ll see you later, Chrissie.”

“Bye!”

 

“Good luck, baby.” Angel said as she kissed Elizaveta goodbye.

“Thanks, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as she returned her girlfriend’s kiss, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Entering the house, she immediately spotted Helen again working on her case as Jake was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Looking up from her work, the auburn-haired lawyer smiled and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry…there’s a Caesar salad and chicken parmesan in the fridge.”

“Thanks anya.” Elizaveta sighed, “Difficult case?”

Sighing, Helen responded as her ward sat down on the couch opposite her. “Yes. Very. The plaintiff’s attorney is using some very technical arguments and referring to a lot of obscure cases. I’m getting headaches just trying to unravel all the knots he’s tied.”

“Hmmm…maybe a short break might help?” Elizaveta suggested. “Approach it from a different angle? If nothing else, taking a little time off will let you take it on with a clear head.”

Nodding her head, Helen smiled as she set her pad and pen down. “That’s not a bad idea, sweetie. So…how was your day?”

“Not bad.” Elizaveta smiled as Jake came in bearing a tray with two glasses of iced tea.

“Hey, kiddo. Give me a moment and I’ll be back with a glass for you.”

“Thanks, apa.” Elizaveta grinned as Jake went back into the kitchen and came back with another glass of tea for the young blonde. Waiting until her step-father was seated next to his wife to speak, she took a sip of her iced tea and smiled appreciatively. “That tastes good.”

“Thanks.” Jake responded. “So what are two of my favorite girls talking about?”

“I was just asking Elizaveta about her day, dear.” Helen replied as she nodded her head at her third daughter.

“We had a good rehearsal at dance club.” Elizaveta reported, “The new girl—Chrissie—caught on pretty quick and seems to be an ok girl. We had pizza with her after school—you know…to get to know her better….”

“Yeah.” Helen smiled, “So…she doesn’t have any problems with you and Angie going out?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “In fact…” She giggled, “She asked us for unbiased advice on which guys were date-worthy and which ones weren’t.”

Laughing, Helen responded, “Well…that’s as good an icebreaker as any.”

“So…what else did you do today?” Jake asked as he sipped his tea.

“Angie got us tickets to the Faculty-DJ roller hockey game.” Elizaveta smirked. Then, seeing the look on her parents’ faces, she quickly added, “The game’s on Friday, so it’s not a school night.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head. “I don’t see any problem with you going out.”

“Oh…” Elizaveta quickly added, “Also…we were planning on having an emergency study session at Jodie’s Wednesday night—Mr. DeMartino and Mr. O’Neill have got big tests coming up on Friday and we want to be ready for them. I’ll be sure to get back in time.”

“Ok. I don’t see any problems with that either.” Helen nodded her head, “Just be sure to sign in when you get home.”

“I will.” Elizaveta smiled and then, finishing her iced tea, stood up. “If it’s ok with you, I’m going to grab a quick shower before dinner.”

“Go on ahead, kiddo.” Jake grinned, “I’m fixing my turkey surprise.”

“Yum…” Elizaveta muttered sarcastically as she decided that she would make it a point to get to the Caesar salad before Quinn did.

 

“Rough morning?” Angie asked as she noticed how tense her girlfriend was when she got in the car.

“Very.” Elizaveta answered and then explained, “Just like we thought she’d do, Quinn hung herself last night. She came in late and faked her sign-in time. Ended up she went out on a date.”

“No surprise there.” Angie smirked, “So is that what’s got you so wound up?”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head. “If it were just Quinn getting busted, I’d be in the mood for a party.” Sighing, she continued, “Instead of just grounding Quinn and being done with it, anya and apa are putting us all through some bizarre family court thing.”

“Damn. Work really is getting to your mother.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.” Elizaveta agreed. “She’s very frustrated and irritable right now. It’s like walking through a minefield whenever I talk to her. Unfortunately…” She sighed, “Daria stepped on one of the mines. She’s a defendant too. And apparently I’m the prosecution’s lead witness because I was up when Daria and Quinn tried to sneak in a couple of days ago.”

“Shit. That’s rough.” Angie said in a sympathetic tone.

“Yeah…Daria really didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

“Have you talked to your mom or Daria about it?” Angie asked.

“I asked Daria before you came by whether she wanted me to talk to anya or not.” Elizaveta replied, “But she said no…that there was no reason for me to get into trouble as well and that she had a plan if worse came to worse.”

“I have a feeling that plan’s going to make it even worse.” Angie remarked as she pulled into her parking place.

“I’m afraid you’re probably right, szereto.” Elizaveta replied with a crooked grin. “Well…” She sighed, “Here we go from one hell to another.”

“Well…at least here we’re in it together.” Angie smiled as she gave Elizaveta a kiss. “This weekend, I promise I’ll give you the best massage you’ve ever had to make up for your lousy week.”

“Mmmm…” Elizaveta responded in a husky voice as she returned her girlfriend’s kiss, “I can’t wait.”

 

“So…how’s it going in the combat zone?” Nikki asked as she joined Angie and Elizaveta at Pizza King after school.

Sighing, Elizaveta recounted what she had told Angie about Daria and Quinn having to go before family court. Shaking her head, she declared, “I have a feeling I’m going to have to raid apa and anya’s liquor cabinet by the time this is over.”

“Sounds rough.” Lisa commiserated as she joined her fellow cheerleaders.

Lowering her head and pinching her nose, Elizaveta remarked, “This week’s been something else. Between the shit going on at home and all the tests this week, I’m ready to hit something.”

“Why don’t you and Angie swing on over to my house Saturday? You too, Lisa.” Nikki suggested, “We can have a girls’ only day…you know…decompress and take it easy.”

“That sounds like a good idea. What do you think, szereto?” Elizaveta exclaimed with a smile on her face.

“Works for me.” Angie grinned, “Maybe we can cruise on down Dega Street and hit that piercing and tattoo parlor too—Mom said I could get my navel pierced.”

“That’s great, szereto!” Elizaveta smiled, “Maybe we can get matching navel rings for Alternapalooza.”

“Sounds good!” Angie replied, “What about you, Nikki and Lisa—how does Dega Street and then chilling out together sound?”

“Count me in.” Lisa grinned.

“Sound like a plan.” Nikki declared, “Give me a call and we’ll get everything ironed out.”

 

Parking the car in front of the Morgendorffer house following their usual afterschool pizza gathering, Angie leaned over and kissed her girlfriend goodbye. “Give me a call later after the smoke clears, baby.” She requested with a supportive grin.

“I will, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled back as she returned Angie’s kiss. “I’ll talk to you later.”

A few hours later, after the courtroom drama had ended, Elizaveta retreated to the safety of her room where she phoned Angie. “Szereto? It’s over.” She sighed.

“How’d it go?” Angie asked as she set her book down.

“About as I expected.” Elizaveta responded as she laid back on her bed. “Quinn got grounded for a month…’

“Well…that’s not so bad.” Angie quipped.

“It gets worse.” Elizaveta sighed, “Just like we talked about today, Daria got caught in the fallout and got grounded for a month too.”

“Damn.” Angie swore, “That sucks.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “When Daria said that she wasn’t the one who stayed out late…”

“Wait…” Angie interrupted, ‘Didn’t she didn’t get caught sneaking in with Quinn…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta affirmed, “But that was the first time—remember. I thought this was supposed to be for Quinn staying out late last night, but I guess that anya decided to go ahead and punish Daria for what happened earlier.”

“That really sucks.” Angie commiserated.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied, adding, “But what also has me concerned was anya’s comment about no one saying that the justice system was fair.”

“You think she’s taking out her work problems on Daria?” Angie inquired.

“I think so.” Elizaveta answered. “I don’t think this case she’s working on is going well for her and she’s feeling a lot of heat from her bosses and lashing out. Apa tried to intervene on Daria’s side a couple of times, but anya shut him down quick.”

“So…what are you going to do, baby?” Angie asked.

“Not much I can do.” Elizaveta sighed, “Daria made it clear to me last night after the ‘trial’ that she did not want me intervening. She said she’d handle it herself and do it in such a way that anya and apa will never do something like this again.”

“This sounds like it could get ugly.” Angie sympathized.

“Very ugly.” Elizaveta answered back. You know…this whole family court thing was a joke—anya had already decided that both Quinn and Daria were going to be punished and nothing was going to change her mind. I picked up on that when she mentioned Stalin—so did Daria.”

“Damn.” Angie shook her head in disbelief. “That’s…I’m sorry, but that’s crazy.”

“Tell me about it.” Elizaveta responded with an ironic laugh, “What really bit was when they called me up as a witness and made me swear an oath to…” Her voice then took on a mocking tone, “…to tell the truth…the whole truth…and nothing but the truth.”

“So…what did you tell them?” Lisa asked.

“The truth.” Elizaveta replied, “What else could I tell them? I went to bed early after a nice conversation with you…” She then spoke in a husky voice, “And one of these days I’m going to take you up on what you told me you wanted to do to me with that ice cube…”

“One of these days we’re going to do it for real, baby.” Angie answered back in a low and sultry voice. Then returning to the subject at hand, she gently probed, “I get the feeling you’re worried about something else…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta answered back as she took a deep breath, “I have a feeling that Quinn’s going to try to drag me down with her.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Angie asked.

“Well…as sentence was being pronounced, she looked right at me and made a comment about how ‘some of us get away with everything.’”

“Hell…doesn’t that redheaded witch realize that you and me just got off restriction a couple of weeks ago?” Angie exclaimed.

“I think she conveniently forgot it.” Elizaveta answered back and then said only half-jokingly, “We should have gone ahead and shoved her in that locker.”

“Well…” Angie responded with a lilt to her voice, “We can remedy that tomorrow.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Elizaveta laughed. “But if we did that, we’d both be grounded again.” Her laughter fading she continued, “Don’t worry, szereto, I’m covering my ass and doing everything I can to not leave her an opening.”

“Good.” Angie replied, “I don’t want anything to mess up our weekend.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta answered back in a husky voice, “I’m looking forward to that massage.”

“I promise you…” Angie responded in an equally sexy voice, “You’ll love it.”

“Well, on that happy note.” Elizaveta said, “I’ll say goodbye. See you tomorrow, szereto.”

“Tomorrow, baby.”

 

“Hey guys!” Elizaveta and Angie grinned as they approached Kevin, Mack, and Jodie, standing in front of their lockers talking with Daria. “Talking about the roller hockey game?”

“What else?” Kevin grinned. “Mr D.’s going down midway through the second period.”

“Nah!” Mack disagreed, shaking his head, “It’ll be early in the game while he’s hyped on adrenaline.”

“You guys are ridiculous.” Jodie shook her head in amusement.

“What did you pick in the pool, Jodie?” Angie inquired with a wicked grin.

“Third period—two minutes in. Cramps will get him.” Jodie responded with a straight face. Then, turning to Daria, she asked, “What time did you pick in the pool?”

“Not going.” Daria shook her head as she gritted her teeth. “I got grounded.”

“It’s not fair.” Elizaveta declared, “Daria didn’t do anything wrong. That stupid trial was silly.” 

“No argument about that.” Daria replied with a grim face as she explained to the others. “Mom decided that we needed a lesson in the law. I don’t like being part of an experiment in parental jurisprudence.”

“What?” Mack exclaimed.

“I didn’t tell you, did I?” Elizaveta apologized to Mack and the others, “I’m sorry, everything’s just been so hectic this week…”

“That’s ok.” Daria interjected and then explained to Mack and Jodie as Kevin listened in, “Mom and Dad…and by Mom and Dad, I mean Mom…decided that we had to go through the stupidity that is family court.”

“That’s twisted!” Kevin exclaimed in a rare moment of lucidity.

“Tell me about it.” Daria sighed. She then turned to Elizaveta, “You better watch your six, Sis. You don’t have to worry about me, but Quinn’s still got an ax to grind against you over both that date at Chez Pierre and a few weeks ago with that plastic surgeon.”

“Quinn can kiss my ass.” Elizaveta bluntly replied. “If she’s smart, she won’t start any shit with me.”

“This is Quinn we’re talking about.” Daria smirked. “Smart doesn’t enter into it.”

“Damn, baby!” Angie grinned, “I have a feeling I better go ahead and reserve an empty locker just in case.”

Calming down, Elizaveta remarked, “Me and Angie were talking last night about her trying something—remember, szereto?”

“Yeah, lover.” Angie replied and then spoke to Daria. “Don’t worry, Daria, my baby’s got it covered.”

“Good. I figured you did, Sis. I just wanted to be sure you got a heads up.” Daria nodded her head. “You guys still studying together tonight?”

“Yeah.” Everyone but Kevin nodded their heads.

“We’re studying at my house tonight.” Jodie declared.

“Well…” Daria cautioned Elizaveta, “Just be sure to get back on time. Mom’s still really touchy. Oh…” She added as her lips turned up in a slight grin, “If you hear any cries or screams coming from our house when you get home—don’t worry—it’s all part of my master plan.”

 

“Thanks, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled as she kissed Angie goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, baby.” Angie replied as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss.

Entering her home, Elizaveta immediately signed in the correct time, 11:00 PM. Then, taking an index card, she wrote a brief note and signed it with her name. Taking off her shoes, she walked quietly up the stairs and made sure Quinn’s door was closed. Taking a moment to listen in, her lips turned up in a smile as she heard her younger sister talking to Stacy on the phone. Quietly, she crept up to Jake and Helen’s door where she slipped the card underneath.. Then, silently walking away, she made her way back down the stairs again. Putting her shoes back on, she made a point of walking in a normal manner to the bathroom where she prepared for bed as she usually did. Then, returning to her room, she closed the door and noiselessly waited. Several minutes later, she was rewarded by the sound of a door opening. Opening her door just a crack, an icy grin crossed the young blonde’s features as she spotted Quinn creeping down the stairs. Quietly closing her door, Elizaveta slipped off her robe and went to bed.

The next morning, as she came down the stairs, the first thing she noticed was an evil smirk from Quinn. Seeing a curious look from her other sister’s face, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a brief smirk. Picking up on her blonde sister’s gesture, Daria also flashed a brief smile.

“Guess who I saw creeping in late last night.” Quinn crowed as she stared at Elizaveta.

“Well, Elizaveta?” Helen asked as she held the index card in her hands.

“I signed in as I was supposed to, anya.” Elizaveta replied, also noticing the index card. “I was at home at eleven o’clock.”

“She’s lying!” Quinn exclaimed, “Check the sign in sheet.”

“We did.” Helen replied. “It was blank.” Quinn’s smirk of triumph was quickly erased however as Helen continued to speak, waving the index card she held in her hand. “I found this under my door when I woke up this morning. Let me read it for everyone: _I came in at eleven o’clock and signed in. I’m leaving this under your door in case someone tampers with the sign-in sheet. You can call Angie’s mom to verify everything—Elizaveta_.”

As Helen continued to speak, Daria’s smile grew wider, “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Harmon. She says that Angie arrived home well within her curfew time after dropping Elizaveta off here. So…what do you have to say for yourself, Quinn?”

“Busted.” Daria grinned, earning a brief warning glare from her mother.

“Grrrrr…It’s not fair, Mom! Elizaveta gets to go out and I’m stuck here!”

“Elizaveta’s not grounded.” Helen retorted, “You are…for an extra two weeks for trying to frame your sister.”

“Mo….oooom!” Quinn railed, gritting her teeth as she glared at Elizaveta. “Your rules are strangling me!”

“Want to go for another two weeks, young lady?” Helen snapped.

“No, Ma’am.” Quinn replied, finally deciding to cut her losses.

“Good. Now get ready for school—that goes for you too Daria and Elizaveta.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Yes, anya.”

As Daria and Elizaveta walked up the stairs followed by a sullen Quinn, Daria whispered to Elizaveta, “Well played, Sis.”

 

“Quinn did just like we thought she would.” Elizaveta smirked as she and Angie walked down the hall to their locker. “She swiped the sign-in sheet after she thought I’d gone to bed and tried to say that I came in late.”

“So... what happened?” Angie replied, “From that smirk on your face, I get the feeling that you outsmarted her.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Before she swapped out the sheet, I’d crept up earlier and slipped an index card under anya and apa’s bedroom door telling them what time I came in and to give your mom a call to verify.”

“So that was what that phone call was about this morning.” Angie laughed, “Mom said that your mom asked what time I got in. When she got off the phone, I told Mom what was going on and we had a good laugh over it.”

“It is kinda funny.” Elizaveta replied, “Also, Quinn got a couple extra weeks restriction off of it.”

“See…” Angie grinned, “There is justice after all. So…” she asked, “…did Daria tell you how everything went on their first night of grounding.”

Laughing hysterically, Elizaveta recounted what Daria had told her earlier in the morning, “Daria said that in between Quinn monopolizing the phone and her doing the best she could to annoy anya and apa while they were playing Scrabble, she was serenading them to Junior Welles on the harmonica.”

“Ouch!” Angie chortled, “She’s really pouring it on. How long do you think they’re going to last?”

“I don’t give them more than a few more days before someone commits an act of violence.” Elizaveta giggled. Sighing, she shook her head, “Tonight I get to participate in the fun.”

“Well…if you can get to the phone between Quinn and your mom…” Angie grinned, “…give me a call.”

“Count on it.” Elizaveta replied and then lowered her voice to a whisper, “This time, it’s my turn to treat you over the phone.”

“Oh?” Angie whispered back, “So, what are you going to do to me?”

“It involves silk ropes and a feather…”

“Oooohhhh…I can’t wait, baby.” Angie whispered back.

“Hey guys!”

Turning to the source of the shout, Elizaveta and Angie both waved as Daria and Jane came up to them. “Daria was regaling me with the story about you sticking it to Quinn last night.” Jane chuckled.

“Quinn forgot the first rule of holes.” Angie laughed.

“Yeah.” Daria agreed, “She keeps digging.”

“So…” Jane smirked as she spoke to her friend, “You going to continue tormenting Helen and Jake.”

Nodding her head, Daria turned to Elizaveta, “Sorry that you’re going to be caught in the crossfire tonight.”

“That’s ok.” Elizaveta smirked, “I was planning on studying in my room for DeMartino and O’Neill’s tests anyway and I’ve got earplugs for when you break out your harmonica.”

“Good move.” Daria replied.

“How many more days do you think it’ll take for them to crack?” Jane asked.

“I figure by the end of this weekend they’ll be looking for a way out that’ll save them face at the same time.” Daria answered back.

“That’s probably the only way they’ll agree to give in.” Angie remarked.

Sighing, Daria replied as the bell rang, “We’ll see.”

 

“So…tomorrow night we put on our flapper dresses and after the roller hockey game, we celebrate the end of exams at Alessandro’s.” Angie exclaimed as she took a bite of the pepperoni and mushroom pizza that she and Elizaveta were sharing.

Sounds good to me, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled back as she took a sip from her soda.

“Hey, Angie…Elizaveta!”

“Hi Britt! Kevin.” Angie smiled as she and Elizaveta made room in their booth for the other couple. “How are you two doing?”

“Great.” Brittany squeaked as she bit into her pizza.

“Hey, Elizaveta…you’re Daria’s sister, right?” Kevin asked.

“Yes, Kevin.” Elizaveta replied indulgently. “Why?”

“Is it true that your parents are punishing her by giving her the hives?” Kevin asked in an innocent tone of voice.

“No, Kevin.” Elizaveta sighed. “She’s just on restriction.”

“So they’re not trying to change her generic makeup or anything like that?” Brittany asked

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, barely suppressing her laughter. “She’s just been grounded—no weird experiments or genetic changes or anything like that.”

“That’s good.” Brittany exclaimed as she twirled a lock of her hair, “I hate that generic makeup anyway.”

“And on that note…” Angie smiled indulgently at the childlike couple as she and Elizaveta got up from the booth, “Me and my girlfriend have to go. I gotta get her home before she gets into trouble too. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

 

Evening at the Morgendorffers for Elizaveta was actually relatively peaceful as she promptly made for her room after dinner. Opening her history text, she began to study for her test tomorrow morning as she heard a knocking at her door. Thinking it was Daria, she answered the knock, “Come in!” Seeing her step-mother at the door, Elizaveta welcomed her in, “Anya? Is there anything wrong?”

“No, dearie—and don’t worry…” She said with a smile on her face, “You’re not in any trouble. I was wondering if we could talk for a bit?”

“Sure anya.” Elizaveta replied as she gestured at the chair in her room. 

Sitting down, Helen noticed the open book and notepad. “Studying?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Mr. DeMartino and Mr. O’Neill have tests tomorrow—I’m just reviewing—we knocked out a lot of the problems last night at our study session, but I want to be sure I do well on the tests.” Elizaveta then asked, “How’s your case coming along?”

“I think we’ve found a chink in their armor that I can use to get a settlement out of the plaintiff.” Helen sighed in relief and then smiled, “It was your suggestion to approach the situation from a different angle that made it possible—thanks. Setting it up is still going to be difficult though.” She shook her head, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to work late tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome.” Elizaveta smiled back, “I’m glad I helped, and…” she pleaded, “…try not to work too hard—please.”

Smiling, Helen answered back, “I’ll try not to dearie.” Then she cleared her throat, “I was wondering if I could ask you a question.”

“Sure, anya.

“I’d like your take on what’s going on now.” She further clarified, “When you were grounded, you took your punishment and…” she smiled, “…. actually made the best of it. To be brutally honest, Jake and I enjoyed our time with you—I only wish we didn’t have to ground you to do that.”

“Well…” Elizaveta answered back, “I promised that I would accept whatever punishment you felt was appropriate and…it was a fair punishment. I think that was the key thing. Besides…” she smiled, “I liked hearing about how you and apa met—it was kinda sweet. And you’re right…I should make more time to be with you and apa.”

Laughing gently, Helen responded, “Yeah…that day I met Jake is a day I’ll never forget. Also, believe it or not, I was a teenager once too. I and your father understand about you wanting to be with Angie and your friends.” Then, getting back to the subject, she inquired, “What do you think about our setting up boundaries?”

Elizaveta took a deep breath, not sure whether she should proceed until her step mother interjected, “Don’t worry about getting punished for ‘excessive questioning’ dearie.” She said in a soothing voice, “I only did that because I wasn’t in the mood for Daria’s usual sarcasm. I really want to know your opinion.”

“Well…” Elizaveta said diplomatically, “I think it’s a good idea that we have some clearly defined rules and that those rules be fairly enforced. Like…I knew I had a curfew but didn’t know that Daria and Quinn didn’t. have one.”

“Fair point, Elizaveta.” Helen nodded her head. “I…we…” she amended, “…should have made it clearer a long time ago. We didn’t mean to be unfair to you…” Helen quickly stated, “It’s just that it’s never been a matter of concern before. You’ve always been very good about not getting in too late, so I…we…never thought much about it. I’m sorry if you thought you were being singled out, dear.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta smiled back, “I know you didn’t mean to be unfair with me, but Daria’s feeling pretty resentful now because she thinks she’s being treated unfairly. As for Quinn…” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders, “…she’s just upset because she’s not getting her way.”

Closing her eyes and looking down, Helen responded in a guilty voice, “Yeah…I let my frustrations over that case get the better of me. Add to that Daria’s usual sarcasm, I kinda lost control. And you’re right about Quinn…” she admitted, “…we do let her get away with too much.”

Elizaveta chuckled, “No offense, but I did think that the Ten Commandments was a bit much.”

Laughing along with her step-daughter, Helen answered back, “Maybe I did go too far with those, but…”

“You were planning on setting down some boundaries prior to this blowup—weren’t you?” Elizaveta gently ventured.

“Yes.” Helen nodded her head. “You girls are all very strong and independent young women—each in your own ways. Daria, in many ways, is an island to herself—partly, that’s made her very self-reliant. But it has also made her very lonely—and bitter, I’m afraid. And Quinn—she knows how to use and manipulate people—a little too well. If that’s not curbed, she’s going to get herself and probably other people in a lot of trouble. Also, as you pointed out, she does get her way too often and that does need to change. The sooner she learns that a cute smile isn’t always going to work—the better. And as for you—you’re a natural leader. Even though Brittany might lead the cheerleaders on the field, I think we both know who they really look up to. It’s just that sometimes you can be a bit reckless—you’ll take a gamble when maybe backing off a bit and looking for an alternative solution might be the better route to take and you’ve got one hell of a temper.”

“Kind of like with Upchuck?” Elizaveta asked as Helen nodded her head. “You understand…” Elizaveta explained, “…it had to be us cheerleaders who dealt with the situation. We had to make sure he and everyone else understood that we can’t be messed with. But…” she sighed, “I probably should have taken some time to see if there was another way to deal with the situation, and I definitely should have done a better job researching that medication to be sure it was safe.”

“I understand that there are times when you have to fight your own battles, dear.” Helen replied, “But don’t forget you’ve got people who love you and that there’s no shame in calling for help when you need it.”

“Thanks, anya.” Elizaveta smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

“So…” Helen cringed as the sound of Daria playing her harmonica filled the hallway, “Any ideas on how to resolve this mess?”

“Actually…” Elizaveta smiled, “Yes…” 

After her step-daughter had outlined her plan, Helen nodded her head approvingly. “It might just work.” She commented. “It sends a clear message that there are definite boundaries while at the same time allowing me to give Daria an out to make up for me unfairly grounding her.”

“I’m glad.” Elizaveta responded and then asked, “I was wondering, anya…tomorrow night’s the faculty-DJ hockey game and then after that, Angie and I were planning on going to Alessandro’s to dance. Well…because it’ll probably be fairly late before we get in, we were hoping that Angie could spend the night here. Angie said she’d clear it with her mom if it’s ok with you.”

“I don’t see any problem with that, so long as Angie’s mom’s ok with it.” Helen replied, “Also, provided you both follow the same rules you did when you stayed over at Angie’s. Make sure you put something on when you go to bed—no sleeping naked like you always do—and leave the door open a crack.”

“I promise. I’ll wear a sleep shirt and panties.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Thank you.”

“No…’ Helen grinned back, “Thank you.”

Some time later, Elizaveta again heard a knock on her door, sighing, she responded, “Come in.” Then, seeing her sister at the door, she smiled, “What is it, Daria?”

Entering her sister’s room, Daria sat down on the chair and commented, “I couldn’t help but notice Mom coming out of your room a few minutes ago. I hope you’re not in any trouble.”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, then seeing an opening, took advantage of the opportunity. “She told me that it’s looking like that case that’s been giving her problems is coming close to being dealt with.”

“I see.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “She said they managed to reach a settlement where the plaintiff could back out gracefully while at the same time making sure the defendant received fair compensation—sounds to me like a workable solution to a tough problem.”

“Perhaps.” Daria nodded her head, taking the hint, “It might just work. Thanks.”

“Anytime, Daria.” Elizaveta smiled back, returning to her studies as her sister left the room only to be interrupted yet again by a knock on her door. “Yes?” Elizaveta sighed.

“I’m sorry if I caught you at a bad time, kiddo.” Jake apologized as he stood at the door.

Closing her book, Elizaveta responded, “Not at all, apa. Please…” She smiled, “Come in.”

“Thanks.” He said as he sat down. “So…what did you think of your father as a judge?”

“You were a very…imposing…figure.” Elizaveta tactfully responded.

“I looked silly.” Jake responded with a sigh. “But I didn’t want to be like my father, I want to treat my girls fairly.” Beating down the feelings of anger and resentment building up in him, Jake explained, “My father dealt with me by yelling at me and beating me when he got tired of yelling. In the end, he just shipped me off to that military school where he and everyone else forgot about me. I don’t want to be like that to you.”

“You’re not, apa.” Elizaveta soothed. “You try your best to be fair to us.”

“But I don’t always get it right.” Jake concluded morosely.

“The thing is…” Elizaveta comforted, “…you do try. Would your apa have done that?”

“No.” Jake shook his head, “He’d have just taken his belt and whipped me and when I cried, give me more licks for crying.”

“You see…” Elizaveta said as she walked up and embraced her step-father, “…you’re already doing a better job than your apa.”

“Daria didn’t deserve to be punished.” Jake declared, “I should have…”

“Daria understands…” Seeing the disbelieving look on her stepfather’s face as the sound of a harmonica being played off key resounded, Elizaveta amended with a crooked grin, “..well…maybe not completely. You were in a difficult situation. Anya can be pretty…”

“Yeah.” Jake grinned, “She can. But she loves you all.”

“I know that.” Elizaveta smiled warmly. “It’s just that she’s been stressed out recently and she lashed out and she’s sorry for it now.” She lowered her voice, “She was looking for a way out and I think she found it. Just be there for her when she needs it and I think everything will work out.”

A smile returning to his face, Jake responded as he stood up. “Thanks, kiddo.”

“You’re welcome.” Elizaveta responded and then, after her stepfather had shut the door behind him, said softly to herself, “If I’m going to be the family arbitrator, I’m going to start charging by the minute.”

 

As they entered the gym, Angie and Elizaveta, wearing their flapper outfits, attracted more than a few looks as they made their way to the stands where their friends Jodie and Mack were seated along with Kevin and Brittany. “You two look like you’re ready to go to a speakeasy.” Jodie quipped.

“Where’s Big Al?" Mack joked.

“With Bugsy and Legs.” Angie jibed back.

“It’s twenties and thirties night at Alessandro’s.” Elizaveta chuckled. “We’re going to dance the Charleston and have fun.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Mack grinned as the faculty team and the DJs skated on to the arena. “Looks like they’re getting ready to start.”

“Hey Daria…Jane…” Elizaveta grinned as the two amigas sat down next to her and Angie, “Glad you could make it. What times did you pick in the pool?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Jane smirked. “I’ve got early in the second period.”

“What about you, Daria?” Angie asked.

“End of the first period.” Daria grinned. She then turned to Elizaveta, “Not a word…right?”

“Of course not.” Elizaveta answered back. “Rule Number One.”

“Rule Number One?” Jodie raised her eyebrows in inquiry.

“Sisters don’t snitch on each other.” Elizaveta replied as Daria nodded her head in agreement. Then, her eyes scanning the arena, she touched Angie’s arm, “Hey, szereto—there’s Ms. Defoe and her boyfriend.”

“Mmmm…” Jane licked her lips as she noticed the dark haired handsome man walking next to the art teacher sporting a neatly trimmed goatee, “Nice…”

“His name’s Antonio.” Angie replied with a smirk, answering Jane’s unanswered question, “He’s a pretty good guy.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement as the blondes and Jane waved at their art teacher and date who waved back. “He helped her run interference for us on our first date when Mr. O’Neill looked like he was going to ruin it.”

“That’s major points for him right there.” Jodie remarked approvingly.

“This could be it!” Jane exclaimed as Mr. DeMartino swiped the puck from Rock-n-Roll Randy and began skating towards the goal.

“Here it comes!” Angie laughed as the rock DJ whacked the teacher on the leg, causing him to fall.

“Damn.” Elizaveta cursed.

“Hey, he could still have a heart attack.” Jane chuckled, “He could try to walk on his bad knee and the stress could cause his heart to stop.”

“You’re an optimist, Jane.” Daria quipped.

“Baszd!” Elizaveta shouted as she pointed at the rink. “Ms. Barch is beating up that DJ!”

“All right!” Kevin exclaimed, “Go team!”

“Ouch!” Angie grinned as Ms. Barch’s knee connected with Rock-n-Roll Randy’s groin. “Guess we won’t have to worry about any little Rock-n-Roll Randys.”

That signaled an all-out brawl between the faculty and DJs as Rockin’ Carla of KROC body slammed Mr. O’Neill and Ms. Morris put another DJ in a full nelson. “Ok.” Daria grinned, “Now I’m getting my money’s worth.”

Standing up, Elizaveta and Angie said their goodbyes, “Sorry we gotta go in the middle of the war, but we want to get in as much dancing and snuggle time as possible. We’re off to Alessandro’s. Give us a blow by blow description of what we missed.”

“Bye!” Jodie and Mack waved back and then returned to watching the carnage. 

“We’ll have a full replay with color commentary.” Jane snarked as a rare laugh escaped Daria when Ms. Li collided with Rockin’ Carla, sending both women skidding on their rears towards the opposite goals with Ms. Li ending up in the net while Carla knocked down two other DJs, setting off a chain reaction.

“I hope you don’t mind us leaving early, szereto.” Elizaveta said to her girlfriend as she took her by the hand, “But I’m in the mood to dance.”

“Same here, baby.” Angie smiled. “Besides, you’ve seen one knockdown drag-out fight between teachers and DJs, you’ve seen them all.”

 

“That was fun!” Elizaveta exclaimed as she fanned herself. “I love dancing the Charleston, but it is exhausting.”

“Tell me about it, baby.” Angie replied as she caught her breath. Then, giving her girlfriend a kiss she remarked as the waitress brought them complimentary coffees courtesy of the owner, “I think we’re a hit.”

“I needed this.” Elizaveta sighed as she leaned into Angie’s arms.

“Don’t forget, baby.” Angie whispered, “You’ve got a massage coming tomorrow when we get back from our girls day with Nikki and Lisa.”

“I can’t wait, szereto.”

“I hope we’re not intruding.”

Hearing their art teacher’s voice, the girls looked up and smiled. “Not at all.” Elizaveta said as she gestured at the empty bench in the booth, “Please…join us.”

“Ok…but only for a minute.” Ms. Defoe replied as she and her date sat down opposite the girls. “No…don’t get up.” She pleaded as Elizaveta began to stir, “You’re looking comfortable now and we don’t want to take too much of your time.” She then gestured towards the man sitting next to her, “You’ve met Antonio.”

“Yeah.” Both girls smiled at their art teacher’s escort. “We didn’t get to thank you for…”

“Don’t mention it.” Antonio smiled, speaking with a smooth Italian accent. “Anything for the cause of amore.”

“Antonio is a true gentleman.” Claire responded as her boyfriend kissed her hand.

“Antonio…how did you and Ms. Defoe…”

“Claire.” The art teacher interjected, “When we’re here or anywhere off campus, just call me Claire.”

“We met at an art exhibit at the Smithsonian.” Antonio replied with a smile. “I met Claire at the Monet exhibit and was at once entranced by her beauty.”

“Flatterer.” Claire grinned, “We went out for coffee and things went on from there.”

“Si.” Antonio nodded his head, “I’m an art appraiser for Accademia Museum in Firenze. That means I do a lot of international travel.” He then smiled as he regarded Elizaveta, “One of my more frequent destinations is the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.”

“I’m afraid I don’t remember much of my childhood.” Elizaveta lamented, “I know that I speak fluent Magyar, but that’s it. I don’t know anything else.”

“Well…” Antonio offered, “If I could have a picture of you, I could pass it on to the Hungarian authorities the next time I’m in Budapest. They might be able to come up with something. The Bathory name is well known…”

“You mean infamous.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a crooked grin, “I’m not sure that it’ll come to anything. The doctor at the hospital said that while I speak fluent Magyar, I’m not Hungarian—not really—although he thinks my parents or grandparents might be.”

“Well…” Antonio shrugged his shoulders, “Maybe someone in Budapest might have an idea—maybe a check on recent emigres to the United States could provide a lead?”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta nodded her head, and then smiled, “Thank you. I’ll give…Claire…a picture.”

“I’ll be sure Antonio gets it.” Claire responded with a smile as she and Antonio stood up as the band began to play _Let’s Misbehave_. Right now though, I think that our song’s playing.”

“Indeed it is, caro mio.” Antonio grinned as he and Claire said their goodbyes, “Ciao!”

Watching as the pair walked away, Angie caressed Elizaveta’s arm. “Well…maybe something will come of this?”

“A part of me is hoping it doesn’t.” Elizaveta confessed as she leaned into her lover’s arms. “I don’t want to be separated from you.”

“I don’t want you to leave either, baby.” Angie replied in a soothing voice, “But…don’t you want to know where you came from—who you really are?”

“Yes…and…no.” Elizaveta replied. “I think who I really am is who I am right now.” She said as she kissed Angie. “And right now, as long as I’m with you, I don’t care if I never get my memories back because I’m making a lot of new ones with you.”

“I love you, baby.” Angie whispered, surprising herself as she spontaneously uttered the words.

“I love you too, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered back, her heart souring as she heard those three words coming first from her girlfriend and then from her own lips.

Giddy at her girlfriend’s response, Angie didn’t say a word as she gathered Elizaveta in her arms for a long passionate kiss as the music played on.


	16. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie and Elizaveta go to Alternapalooza

“This could get to be a habit, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled as she caressed the cheek of the girl lying in bed next to her.

“Then it’s a habit I don’t ever want to give up.” Angie smiled back as she gave her girlfriend a kiss. Scootching in closer to Elizaveta, she murmured, “I don’t want to get up.”

“I don’t either.” Elizaveta responded as Jake’s voice called out from downstairs.

“Time to wake up, girls! Breakfast is almost ready.”

“You go first, szereto.” Elizaveta sighed, “Better get to the bathroom before Quinn does or you’ll be waiting for hours.”

“Then I better get a move on.” Angie laughed as she reluctantly rose from the comfortable double bed. “Better hurry up yourself, baby. Four girls—one bathroom…gonna be a long line.”

“You weren’t kidding about getting in there fast, baby.” Angie laughed as she came into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around her body and hair. “You better get going—Daria’s in there now and I think I heard Quinn rustling about in her room.”

“Good idea, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss before making her way to the bathroom, barely beating Quinn to the door as Daria exited, deliberately blocking Quinn from getting in first, “Gotta be faster.” The blonde smirked as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Joining the rest of the family for breakfast, Elizaveta warned Angie in a low whisper, “Be sure that anya made the breakfast and not apa. Apa likes to spice up everything.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Angie whispered back as she followed Elizaveta’s lead and went for the pancakes and bacon. 

“Matching outfits?” Daria smirked as she noted the black leather midriffs, pants and boots both blondes were wearing, along with matching silver navel rings with amethyst settings and, in Elizaveta’s case, a silver nose stud with an amethyst setting.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta grinned, “We got them when we went to Dega Street with Nikki and Lisa a few weeks ago.” Then noting Daria’s simple jeans and black shirt combination she remarked, “You’re looking good too.”

“Ummm…. thanks.” Daria replied, somewhat surprised at the praise.

“Hey…you’re wearing what works for you.” Angie declared as Quinn appeared wearing her outfit, along with a fake nose piercing and fake tattoo, “At least you’re being true to yourself and not putting up a front.”

“So…I guess you all are going to that concert…” Helen inquired.

“Alternapalooza?” Elizaveta smirked, “Yeah.”

“Hope it’s not like Altamont.” Jake remarked, “Damned Hell’s Angels.”

“I’m sure it won’t be like that, Jake.” Helen replied in a soothing voice.

“We got matching rings and everything a couple of weeks ago.” Angie remarked as she poured syrup on her pancakes while Elizaveta began slicing her bacon.

“Ewww…” Quinn grimaced as she dipped her spoon into her low-fat yogurt, “All those calories.”

“Between cheerleading and dance we work them all off.” Angie countered as Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement.

“Believe me, Quinn—we work up quite a sweat practicing—we need those calories or we’d end up looking like all those models in that magazine you and your friends are always looking at.” Elizaveta pointed out, getting in a little dig at her younger sister in the process.

“You mean _Anorexics Digest_ or the _Bulemic’s Bulletin_?” Daria smirked, joining in on the Quinn baiting.

“Daria…Elizaveta…” Helen interrupted quickly in an effort to cut off the sniping before it began. She then declared, aiming her remarks at her youngest daughter, “There’s a difference between eating sensibly, overeating, and starving yourself. Angie and Elizaveta are both very active and they need the extra calories, while you don’t. Looking good isn’t about meeting some magazine’s standards anyway—it’s how you feel about yourself that counts.” As Quinn rolled her eyes at her words, Helen sighed, “You’ll understand some day, dear.”

After breakfast and cleanup, the girls all left the house at about the same time as the Tank and Sandi and the rest of the Fashion Club, along with the Three Js showed up in a car driven by Sandi, and Jodie, Mack, Kevin, and Brittany came in riding in Kevin’s jeep.

“Hey guys.” Jodie called out as she and Mack walked up to the two blondes, “Looking good!”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta replied, “You two are looking good yourselves.” 

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, “That short dress works well for you, Jodie.” She complimented, referring to the short black leather skirt and matching crop top the young African-American teen was wearing.

“Love the biker jacket, Mack.” Elizaveta remarked approvingly at Mack’s attire of black leather biker’s jacket, printed t-shirt, and jeans.

“Hey, Angie…Elizaveta!” Brittany, still wearing her cheerleader’s uniform, grinned widely as she hugged her fellow cheerleaders.

“Hey, Britt.” Angie smiled, hugging her best friend back. 

“Kevin.” Elizaveta nodded her head in greeting at the dim-witted quarterback, still wearing his football jersey.

“Hope you don’t mind us going without you…” Mack apologized to the two blondes, lowering his voice, “…but we figured that someone needed to keep an eye on those two…” he explained, his eyes focusing on Kevin and Brittany who were at that moment making out next to Kevin’s jeep.

“It’s all right, Mack.” Angie smiled, “We were wanting to spend the day by ourselves anyway.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand, “But thanks for thinking of us.”

“Well…” Jodie remarked as she touched her boyfriend’s elbow, “We better get going before Kevin and Brittany get us all arrested.”

“Good idea.” Elizaveta and Angie both laughed, “Maybe we’ll run into each other at the concert.”

After waving goodbye to their friends, Elizaveta and Angie gave Stacy and Tiffany quick smiles as Quinn hurriedly dashed to the car containing them, waving a quick goodbye as she sat down in the back seat next to Tiffany. Then watching as the Fashion Club with the Js departed, both girls turned about as they heard Jane’s voice.

“Hey, Barbies…Daria.”

“Hi Jane…Trent.” Elizaveta and Angie both smiled as Jane, accompanied by her brother and a man with long dark hair and shirtless except for a black leather vest approached them and Daria.

“Ummm…. Hello Trent…” Daria murmured as she tried, without much success, to keep from blushing.

Chuckling at her friend’s distress, Jane gestured to the other man, “This is Jesse. He plays rhythm guitar for the _Spiral_. Jesse…you know Daria. And these…” she smiled as she gestured at Elizaveta and Angie, “…are the Barbies. They may be cheerleaders, but they’re cool anyway.”

“Yeah, man.” Trent confirmed, “They’re all right.” He then smiled at the two blondes, “Hey Elizaveta…Angie…looking good. New piercings?” He asked, his eyes falling on the two navel rings both girls were wearing.

“For me, yeah.” Angie replied. “We went to Axl’s a couple of weeks ago and decided to get matching rings.”

“They look good on you.” He said approvingly.

“Yeah.” Jesse nodded his head in agreement. “They look cool.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta replied.

“I was wondering if you two wouldn’t mind posing for a painting for me in your flapper outfits sometime.” Jane begged, offering as incentive, “I’ll give you some sketches of you in the outfits as a bonus.”

“Sure.” Both blondes enthusiastically replied. “Just let us know when you want to do it and we’ll make it happen.” Angie grinned.

“Great.” Jane smiled.

Flashing a leer as the girls left with their friends, leaving the house empty, Jake whispered to his wife as his eyes turned to their bedroom upstairs, “Finally…they’re gone!”

“Race you!” Helen laughed as she dashed up the stairs with Jake hot on her heels.

 

**_Oakwood: The same morning_ **

“That’s my boy! Chris got his scholarship renewed and his coach says that he’s got a good shot at the starting quarterback slot next season.” Tony Carbone exclaimed as he read the letter from Penn State sent to him by his oldest son. Scowling at his younger son, he growled, “Now there’s a real man—not like you, you big sissy!”

“Tony!” Gina Carbone quickly interrupted, rebuking her husband, “Jim’s growing up to be a fine young man. His talents are just different than Chris’s.”

“Heh.” Tony snorted, “He’s either got his nose buried in a book or doing some artsy-fartsy crap.”

“Jim just made honors roll and received honorable mention for the poem he wrote for the school literary magazine.” She then placed a hand on her son’s shoulder, “You should be proud of him.”

“Feh.” Tony sneered as he sipped his coffee. “He wants to do something that’ll make me proud—he’ll get off his lazy ass and try out for the football team or enlist and serve his country like I did. Losing to Lawndale on the season opener—that never would have happened if Chris had been the quarterback.”

Jim Carbone listened in silence as his father continued to belittle him while at the same time praising his big brother until finally, his mother once again spoke out, “That’s enough, Tony!” Turning to her son, she asked, “Do you have everything you need for your trip? It’s a long way to Swedesville…”

“Yeah, Mom.” Jim smiled at his mother, “I checked the spare tire and am bringing jumper cables and my tool kit—just in case.”

“Good.” Gina nodded her head approvingly, “I know you can take care of yourself, but a lot can happen on the road.”

“Heh.” Tony snorted, “Wimp would run at the first sign of trouble.”

“Don’t listen to your father, Jim.” Gina pleaded as she shot a glare at her husband, “You’re a smart young man—I know you can take care of yourself. It’s just that I’m your mother—that gives me the right to worry about and fuss over you.” She smiled as her son got up from the table, “You just go and have a good time—maybe meet someone nice.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Jim smiled at his mother as he washed and put away his dirty dishes, “I will.”

 

“Hey…just ignore him. He’s just using you as a punching bag because he doesn’t want to deal with his own problems.” Chris Carbone said on the phone to his younger brother. He then continued in an apologetic tone, “Look…I know I was something of a jerk growing up…”

“It’s ok, Chris…” Jim sighed.

“Thanks, bro.” Chris answered back. “So…Alternapalooza, huh?” His voice taking on a lighter tone, he quipped, “Gonna meet some alternative chick in a band and take off on the road, huh?”

“Heh…” Jim snorted, “Fat chance of that happening.”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short!” Chris exclaimed in an encouraging voice, “Hell…I bet you’ve got the girls lined up to go out with you.”

“That’s a bet you’d lose.” Jim replied morosely as memories of his days in middle school flashed through his mind.

“Look at yourself now.” Chris responded, “A girl would have to be either gay or crazy not to go out with you.”

Yeah…” Jim sighed, “Well…thanks for the pep talk, Chris, but I gotta be going now if I’m going to be able to see the concert.”

“Have fun…I wish I were going with you instead of studying for midterms.” Chris chuckled, “Don’t let anyone tell you a football scholarship to Penn State is a free ride—if you don’t perform in classes, Coach will bench you in a heartbeat.”

“Bye, Chris. Good luck on your exams.”

 

“A wide open road…a car…and my baby next to me.” Angie laughed as Elizaveta leaned back, her feet on the dashboard.

“Mmmm…I’m still feeling good from that massage, szereto.” Elizaveta purred as she caressed Angie’s thigh with her fingers.

“We aim to please.” Angie answered back in a husky voice as they merged on to the expressway. “I think your mom got scared a couple of times because of all that moaning you did.”

“That’s because you were turning me on, szereto.” Elizaveta replied, her tone now more sultry.

“And I was getting hot hearing you.” Angie said as her free hand roamed over Elizaveta’s leg. “I was this close…” She brought her thumb and forefinger within a millimeter of touching, “…to ripping that sleepshirt and those panties you were wearing off you.” She then laughed, “I guess we better be glad your mom insisted on you wearing something to bed and keeping that door open.”

“You know…” Elizaveta said with a thoughtful look on her face, “We’re going to have to do something about this…I mean the phone sex is good and all but…”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, “I feel the same way. So…Are you sure you want to? I mean…there won’t be another first time for either one of us. I’m sure…I’ve never been more sure in my life. But I want to be sure that you want it as much as I do.”

“Yeah, I do.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “I’m sure. I want my first time to be with you.” She then looked up at her girlfriend, “Are you ready? Do you want this?”

“More than anything, baby.” Angie answered back, “I love you and I want to be with you.”

“Same here.” Elizaveta replied, “I love you, szereto. So…”

“Well…like I said…” Angie smiled, “I want our first time to be special. Candlelight dinner for two at Chez Pierre, dancing at Alessandro’s, and rose petals and candles all the way from the front door to the bed.”

“I think that can be arranged.” Elizaveta smiled as she caressed Angie’s inner thigh, drawing a gasp of delight from her girlfriend. “Of course we have to wait until either your anya or my parents and sisters are out of the house for the night because I don’t intend for either one of us to get any sleep.”

Getting a whiff of air from the nearby farm, Angie quickly hit the button to roll up the windows. “I’d rather smell you than those cows.” She laughed gently as Elizaveta tickled her thigh. “Careful baby…” She gently chided, “I’m driving.”

Once safely past the farm and its unique odors, Angie lowered the windows again, “I think we’re safe now.” She smirked as she stroked Elizaveta’s hair. “I love your hair.” Then, as her girlfriend’s caresses touched a particularly sensitive spot, she gasped in delight, “Oh…you are horny, baby! Hell…” She leered as her free hand caressed Elizaveta, paying special attention to her breasts, “I’m getting hot too.” Then, spying the cars slowing down for the toll booth, she laughingly cautioned, “Unless you want us to give everyone a free show…”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta smirked as she sat up, “Let them do what everyone else does and rent a dvd.”

After passing the toll booth, Angie smirked, “Ok…where were we…”

Leaning back, Elizaveta again put her feet up on the dash. “You had your hand here…” She said as she guided Angie’s free hand to her breast, “And I had mine here…” She said as Angie let out a gasp.

Unfortunately for the couple, after about a half hour of driving, they heard a noise as the radiator light suddenly came on. Pulling over to the side, Angie let out a breath as she saw steam coming out from under the hood.” Damn.” She sighed, “And I just had this thing serviced.” Releasing the hood latch, she and Elizaveta both exited the vehicle. Then raising the hood, Angie grimaced. “Goddamned hose broke. Then, checking her cell phone, she gritted her teeth. “I’m not getting a signal. What about you, baby?”

“Me neither.” Elizaveta shook her head. “We must be in a dead area.”

“Well…” Angie sighed as she leaned against the car, “Let’s hope that whoever comes by isn’t a serial killer or rapist.”

 

As he drove down the highway with his window down, Jim took a breath of fresh air as he enjoyed the unusually sunny day. “Feels good.” He smiled, right up until he passed the pasture and the wind changed directions. Holding his breath, he quickly rolled up the window, “Pig shit. Figures.” Once safely past the farm odors, he rolled the window down again and smiled, “Much better. He sighed as he drove on, enjoying both the freedom of the road and the peace and solitude away from his father and school as memories of past humiliations at the hands of both his father and of bullies from middle school raced through his mind. He then heard his mom’s words of encouragement in his mind.

_“Jim…you’re going to go places. Just believe in yourself. You’re kind and good and smart and funny and one day you’re going to find that special girl.”_

As he was driving, listening to the radio, he noticed a blue sedan on the side of the road with its hood up and two blonde girls, wearing matching black leather pants and midriff tops waving at him. Seeing that the two girls were obviously in distress, Jim pulled over and exited his pickup. “Need a hand?” He asked as he slowly approached them.

“Yes, thank you!” The platinum-blonde sighed in relief as she and her friend motioned for Jim to come closer.

“We’re glad you stopped!” The other blonde, her hair more golden and curlier, grinned. 

“Well…” Angie whispered as she took notice of the brown-haired boy, his lips turned up in a friendly grin, “He doesn’t look like a serial killer or rapist.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta whispered back, her lips turned up in a crooked grin, “I don’t think I could have handled one of those right now.”

As he approached the two girls, Jim at once noticed how close they stood to each other, holding each other’s hand. “Radiator?” He asked as he noticed the steam rising.

“Yeah.” The platinum blonde replied, “Busted hose.” She then smiled as she offered her hand, “By the way, my name’s Angie.”

“I’m Elizaveta.” The other blonde, her voice slightly accented, declared.

“Well…Angie…Elizaveta…” Jim smiled, “Let’s take a look and see what we’ve got.”  
Going back to his truck, he returned with a tool box. Then, looking at the engine, he shook his head. “When was the last time you had this serviced?” 

“A couple of weeks ago.” Angie replied as Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta commented, “We got it done before we went shopping—isn’t that right, szereto?”

“Yeah, baby.” Angie answered back.

Pulling out the dipstick, Jim shook his head as he noticed the dark oil. Then, examining the fan belt he sighed, “Whoever ‘serviced’ this car did a lousy job. See the oil…” He said as he showed the two girls the dipstick, “It hasn’t been changed. And take a look at the fan belt…see how it’s beginning to fray? Even if your hose didn’t fail, there’s a good chance that your belt would have snapped sooner or later.”

“Remember the dirty looks we got from those mechanics when they saw us sitting together, szereto? Elizaveta whispered, turning to her girlfriend.

“Yeah…” Angie whispered back as she recalled the incident at the shop, “But I thought it was because we shot those two morons down when they asked us out. I didn’t think it was because we were going out with each other.”

The girls turned back towards their rescuer and smiled, “So…what’s your name or should we call you Mysterious Stranger?”

“Jim. Jim Carbone.” Jim answered back, “Now…let’s see what we can do to get you back on the road.” After several minutes, he shook his head. “We’re going to need to go into town to get the parts I need to get you all fixed up. We’ll need a fan belt, hoses, because I spotted a couple of other hoses that looked weak, and oil. We get those, I can do the work here—I’ve got a good jack in the back of the truck and the tools to do the job.”

“Great!” Angie and Elizaveta both grinned.

“Well…you’re welcome to ride with me in my truck—although it’ll be a little cramped.”

“We’ll manage.” Angie responded with a wicked grin. “You okay with being scrunched up with me and this good looking guy, baby.”

“I can deal with that, szereto.” Elizaveta responded with an impish twinkle in her eyes as she entered the pickup and then scooted over to make room for her girlfriend. Giggling as Jim got in the truck on the driver’s side, she quipped, “Come on…let’s get going. I’m getting tired of seeing Hungry Helga on that billboard.”

“So…were you girls going to Alternapalooza?” Jim asked as he clumsily tried to make conversation with the two gorgeous blondes in the car with him.

“The leather and piercings give us away?” Angie chuckled, her amused laughter causing Jim’s awkwardness to return as he let out a breath of air.

“Hey…it’s ok…” The platinum-blonde cheerleader smiled, “Yeah…we were hoping to get away from Lawndale for the day.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta interjected, also noticing their rescuer’s nervousness, “So…you were going to the concert too?”

Nodding his head, Jim answered back, “Yeah…although alternative isn’t really my thing. I needed to get away too.”

“Same with us.” Angie replied, joining in with her girlfriend in drawing Jim out of his shell. “We’re really more into jazz.”

“Same here.” Jim smiled, “Unfortunately, there’s no real place in Oakwood to listen to any live music.”

“Well…” Elizaveta smiled, “You ought to come down to Lawndale some time. We’ll take you to Alessandro’s—it’s kinda our place.” She remarked as she squeezed Angie’s hand.

“I guess that means you girls go to Lawndale High?” Jim queried.

“Yeah.” Angie laughed, “We’re cheerleaders.”

“Cheerleaders?” Jim exclaimed, disbelievingly.

“What’s wrong with cheerleaders?’ Angie responded, hoping that their rescuer wasn’t someone who thought all cheerleaders were airheaded bimbos.

“Nothing.” Jim quickly shook his head, “I just couldn’t picture you two wearing uniforms and leading cheers.”

“Why not?” Elizaveta asked, “For us, it’s fun.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “Besides, it’s not like we’re cheerleaders twenty-four/seven. We do a whole lot of other stuff.”

“Not all cheerleaders are like what you see in those movies.” Elizaveta pointed out defensively.

“Hey…” Jim quickly interjected, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean anything bad by it—honest.” He then sighed dejectedly, “I have a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth sometimes.”

After several minutes of silence, Elizaveta spoke in a soft voice, “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to snap at you. We think you’re a nice guy.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head in agreement, “And don’t feel bad, I’ve got a bad case of foot-in-mouth-itis myself sometimes.”

“I’m sorry too.” Jim said as he steered the truck on to an offramp. “There’s an outlet mall here. We might find an auto parts store either in the mall or close by. Why don’t we check it out?”

 

“I’m guessing you go to Oakwood?” Angie asked as the three teenagers made their way to the mall.

Nodding his head, Jim responded with a nervous laugh, “I guess that means we’re supposed to be rivals.”

“Pssst.” Elizaveta whispered in a dramatic voice, “We won’t tell anyone of you don’t.”

Laughing, Jim responded, “It’s a deal.”

“Carbone…” Angie mused, “Why is that name familiar?” Then, finally placing the name with a face, she inquired, “Are you related to Chris Carbone?” She then turned to her girlfriend, explaining, “Chris Carbone was Oakwood’s quarterback a few years ago while I was in middle school. He led Oakwood to a state championship. I think he got a football scholarship somewhere…”

“Penn State.” Jim remarked somewhat curtly, “He’s my brother.”

Sensing that she once again stepped on a land mine,. Angie apologized, “Hey…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to… “

“It’s cool.” Jim’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “You know how it gets sometimes between older and younger siblings…”

“I’m an only child.” Angie interrupted, “Elizaveta’s the one with the sisters.”

“Yeah.” The other blonde sighed dramatically, “I’ve got two step-sisters. One my age and the other younger. I know how it can be sometimes.” She smirked, “You have my sympathies.”

“Except in her case, it’s more the younger sister who’s annoying.” Angie quipped as Elizaveta and then finally, Jim, laughed. 

“Quinn’s…Quinn.” Elizaveta laughed, “And Daria has her moments too.” She then cracked a wry grin, “Of course, they can say the same thing about me.”

“I bet you girls have the boys knocking down the doors to your houses.” Jim remarked, his voice taking on a forlorn note.

Picking up on their rescuer’s voice tone, Angie smiled warmly as she squeezed Elizaveta’s hand and then held it up so that Jim could see their bracelets each engraved with the name of the other girl, “We’re kinda off the market…if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta interjected, “You don’t have a problem with that—do you?”

“No.” Jim vehemently shook his head, “I’m kind of a live and let live…or love and let love…kind of person. As long as everyone’s consenting and no one is getting hurt, it’s cool.”

Sighing in relief, Angie responded, “Thanks, Jim. We kinda figured you’d be ok about it—you look like you’re a pretty together guy, but you never know for sure until…”

“You find out…sometimes the hard way.” Jim finished.

“Yeah…like when a pair of jerk mechanics do a half-assed job on your car.” Angie noted with a scowl. “Wait ‘til I tell Mom about ‘em.”

“Or I tell my anya.” Elizaveta remarked, her voice also carrying a hint of danger.

“That’s right.” Angie laughed, “Those morons will be lucky to come out of this with the shirts on their backs when Helen the Red gets through with them.” Seeing the confused look on their rescuer’s face, the platinum-blonde cheerleader explained, “Elizaveta’s step-mother is a lawyer. She’s going to eat those mechanics alive.”

“Crap.” Jim swore under his breath as a couple of teenage boys about his age wearing jeans and t-shirts approached.

“What’s the problem?” Angie asked as she and Elizaveta noticed the grim expression that had appeared on their new friend’s face.

“A couple of jerks from Oakwood.” Jim sighed, “I had problems with them in middle school and they haven’t grown up.”

“A pair of hülyék.” Elizaveta swore under her breath. “Wanna have some fun with them?” She asked, her lips turning up in an impish grin.

“If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking…” Angie smirked as, moving to the other side of Jim, she and Elizaveta both put their arms around his waist. Turning to Jim, she whispered, “Just play along. We’re going to blow those two morons’ minds up.”

“Hey geek!” One of the boys, wearing a black t-shirt with a _Black Sabbath_ design on it called out as he and his pal, also wearing a black t-shirt, only his had an _Aerosmith_ design.

“Hey babes—ditch that loser—we’ll show you a good time.”

“You don’t mean you putzes, do you?” Angie smirked.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta jibed, “When was the last time you two took a bath…middle school?”

“Jim’s so much man…” Angie declared, “That we had to share him.”

Then, her eyes turning towards the lingerie store, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a wicked grin, “Come on, Jim…we’re going to give you a preview of what you’re going to see tonight.” Then looking back at the two bullies, she quipped, “You two can go on back to beating off now, we got us a real man.”

Laughing as the two bullies stood dumbfounded, Jim allowed himself to be dragged off by the two lovely blondes on either side of him. “You’re kidding about the lingerie modeling, right?”.

“Nope.” Angie chuckled, “Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

“Why not!” Jim laughed, “You know you two are crazy, don’t you.”

“Yep.” 

Some time later, the trio exited the shop with the girls each holding bags. “I can’t believe you girls are actually going to wear those outfits.” Jim chuckled, shaking his head.

“I like looking sexy for my baby.” Angie replied in a sultry voice as she gazed into Elizaveta’s eyes.

“And I can’t wait for you to see me in this, szereto.” Elizaveta purred. Then, seeing their companion shyly turning away, she apologized, “I’m sorry, Jim…we didn’t mean to get out of hand.”

“It’s ok.” Jim smiled back, “I think its good that you two are crazy about each other. I just hope that one day…”

“You’ll find someone, Jim.” Angie said in a consoling voice, “You’re everything a girl…a straight girl, that is…wants in a guy.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement. “You’re good looking, smart, and you know how to have a conversation. Not like those two hülyék you know that we ran into.” Then, noticing a bookstore, she smiled, “Do we have time to check out that store? There’s a book I’ve been looking for—maybe they’ll have it.”

“Yeah…I’d like to add to my Niven collection too.” Angie remarked as her eyes lit up on seeing the store.

“You girls are something else.” Jim chuckled as he let the two girls lead him into the store, “Well…there is that Civil War book I’ve been looking for…maybe they’ll have it.”

 

“These parts, and the antifreeze and oil should get you back on the road.” Jim said he and the girls exited the auto parts store carrying all the stuff that they had picked up during their little shopping trip. “We better get back to your car soon before it gets towed away.” He cautioned as they made their way through the parking lot to his truck.

“Good idea.” Angie nodded her head as Jim opened the storage box in the back of his pickup.

“Don’t worry.” Jim grinned, “I keep it clean.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta smiled back as she and her girlfriend put away their bundles.

Some time later, they returned to the stranded car, still on the side of the road. Getting his jack and tools out, Jim took a deep breath. “Well…time to get to work.”

“Can we help with anything?” Elizaveta asked.

“How much do you know about cars?” Jim asked.

“Not a whole lot.” Angie admitted, “Enough to change a tire and call the auto club.”

“Well…that’s more than a lot of people know.” Jim smiled as he began to work under the hood. “For now, just sit back and relax. When I change your oil though, I’m going to ask you to watch out for me while I’m under the car. The jack’s not one of those cheap jobs they put in your car, it’s a good one, but…accidents can happen.”

“Sure thing, Jim.” Angie replied and then offered, with Elizaveta’s consent, “You’ve been really nice, not charging us money or anything, but we’d like to at least buy you something to eat. We could go to that diner we passed by earlier.”

“Mom’s?” Jim grinned, “Sure…I know the place. They serve good food and you don’t even have to tell the waitress what you want—she always knows exactly what to get you.”

“Always?” Elizaveta exclaimed.

“Never heard of her being wrong yet.” Jim laughed. “This shouldn’t take that long, girls, so just take it easy and I’ll be done before you know it.”

 

“Ok!” Jim called out after some time and some sweat and swearing, “Start her up and let’s see what happens!” 

“Right.” Angie replied as she got into the driver’s seat and turned the key, a big coming to her face as she heard the engine turn over and run. ” It’s running perfectly! Thanks!”

“Great.” Jim responded as he closed the hood. “I’ll follow you guys over to the diner to be sure you get there ok. If there’s any other problems, they should show up on the drive.”

“Ok!” Elizaveta grinned as she got into the passenger’s seat, “We’ll see you at the diner.”

After pulling into the diner parking lot and parking the car Angie let out a sigh of relief, “Well…we made it.”

“Yep.” Elizaveta smiled as Jim took the parking place next to them.

Getting out of his truck, Jim asked, “Any problems on the way over? Temperature staying cool?”

“No problems at all.” Angie replied as she and Elizaveta got out of the car. “Come on, let’s eat. I don’t know about you two, but I’m hungry.”

Entering the diner, the trio found the place packed with teenagers having the same idea they had. Waving at Jodie, Mack and the others and receiving waves in return, they made their way to the only open booth left. Seeing Daria in one of the adjacent booths, sitting next to Jane with Trent and Jesse on the other bench, Elizaveta smiled at her sister. “Hello, Daria.”

“Hello, Elizaveta.” Daria mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“You’ve got to excuse Daria.” Jane chuckled, “She’s been stung by a bee, has peanut butter on her butt, broke her glasses, and had to pee in the bushes.”

“And I thought we had problems.” Angie laughed and then explained, “My car blew a hose and we had to replace it and the fan belt.”

“Plus the mechanics doing the servicing did a half assed job so Jim was nice enough to change the oil as well as put in new hoses and fan belt. Oh…” Elizaveta paused, “I’m sorry…this is Jim…our rescuer.”

“Hello.” Jim smiled as he was introduced to Daria and the others seated at the table.

“Yeah…we’re buying him lunch because he was such a good sport putting up with us.” Angie quipped.

Laughing, Jane responded, “Well, Jim…if you can handle the Barbies, then you’ve got something going for you.”

Then, as the trio sat down in their booth, Jim noticed a very pretty redheaded teenager coming out of the bathroom wearing a fringed tan leather jacket and what looked like a nose ring. His heart skipped a beat as he debated introducing herself until he heard her speak.

“Of course, Sandi. We all know that mid-length hemlines are out of fashion. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a midi.”

“Reallly…” Tiffany drawled in her usual manner when she was in the presence of her fashion club friends as she gave a conspiratorial wink to Elizaveta and Angie.

“Sit next to me Quinn!” A dark-haired boy pleaded as he made room in the booth where he was sitting with three other boys.

“No sit next to me!” Another boy, this one wearing red hair begged.

“No, sit next to me!” A third boy, this one with blond hair pled.

“Joey…Jeffie…Jackie…” The red-headed girl exclaimed, her voice a mixture of pleasure and exasperation.

“Jaime…” The blond boy corrected in a quiet tone.

“Boys…” Quinn declared, “Why don’t you sit on the bench on the other side of me? That way you all get to look at me.”

“Ok!” All three boys grinned as they sat down opposite Quinn and her two friends.

Watching with a dumbfounded look on his face as the scene between the red-head and the three boys played out, Jim whispered to his two blonde companions, “Is that girl for real?”

“Unfortunately…” Elizaveta sighed, “Yeah.”

“She’s my baby’s other sister.” Angie smirked.

“That’s Quinn and her three slaves.” Elizaveta grunted.

“You have my sympathies.” Jim remarked, adding, “You know, I could have gone for her right up until she opened her mouth. Is she really that shallow?”

“I’m afraid so.” Elizaveta replied, shaking her head, “Maybe one of these days she’ll outgrow it.”

“Yeah.” Angie teased good-naturedly. “Give her another ten years or so and try again. Who knows, you two might actually hit it off and fall in love with each other then.”

“Yeah, right.” Jim snorted, “Well…I’ll let you know how it goes in ten years.”

As the trio sat talking, the waitress came to their table and then called out an order. “Two grilled chicken sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and cole slaw on the side, one cheeseburger with fries, two iced teas—unsweetened, and one jumbo cola.”

“Wow!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “That’s exactly what I was thinking of ordering.”

“Me too.” Angie concurred.

“I told you.” Jim remarked with a smile as his gaze quickly returned to the red-head and then back to his companions.

Unknown to Jim and his friends, Quinn was also eyeing Jim. She had spotted him as soon as she emerged from the bathroom with her friends. However, before she could approach him, Sandi had remarked on how passé midis had become and she had been drawn into that important discussion. Then, after settling down the Js and getting her order, she frowned as she at once noticed that he was with Elizaveta and Angie. While pretending to ignore him, the young redhead couldn’t help but be drawn towards the brown-haired boy, especially those soulful eyes of his, giving him a glance when she thought no one was looking. _Maybe one day_. She thought to herself. _Maybe one day_.

After they had eaten and Angie and Elizaveta had paid the bill, the trio exited the diner. “Thanks for everything, Jim.” Angie grinned, “It was fun hanging with you.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled as the two girls gave him their phone numbers and he gave them his. “Give us a call whenever you know you’re going to be in Lawndale and we’ll get together.”

“Right.” Angie concurred, “Maybe we can grab some coffee or lunch or just hang out.” She then added, “You know…me and Elizaveta will be in our end of the year dance recital. You ought to come and see it. Bring your folks too.”

“Please.” Elizaveta requested, adding her pleas to those of her girlfriend’s. “We’d love for you to come see us.”

“Ok.” Jim smiled, “I’ll be sure to keep the date open and I’ll pass on word to my folks. Mom will love to come and maybe Chris if he’s home at the time.” His face then darkened momentarily before his good mood reasserted itself, “I don’t know about Dad though. He doesn’t go much for the arts.”

“Well…even if he doesn’t make it.” Angie replied, “I hope you and the rest of your family can.”

“Thanks again and take care.” Elizaveta exclaimed as she gave Jim a hug.

“Yeah.” Angie exclaimed as she also hugged Jim, “And don’t forget to call us.”

“I won’t.” Jim smiled as he got into his truck, “Even though we didn’t make it to the concert.” He declared, “Thanks for hanging out with me. I had fun.”

 

“So…did you have a good time, dear?” Gina Carbone asked as her son came in from his trip.

“Yeah, Mom.” Jim nodded his head and then asked, “Is Dad home?”

“No.” Gina shook her head, “He’s off with his friends.”

“Good.” Jim smiled, “It’s been a good day and I didn’t want it ruined.”

“So, what did you do?” Gina asked as she fetched a soda for her son and herself.

“Well…I didn’t make it to the concert. I stopped to help a couple of Lawndale cheerleaders. They had car problems and were stranded at the side of the road.”

“That’s good.” Gina nodded her head approvingly. “So…what were the girls like?”

“They were nice.” Jim smiled, “They bought me lunch and we hung out some and they invited us to their dance recital at the end of the year. And…before you ask, Mom…” Jim chuckled, “Yes, they gave me their numbers and no, they’re not interested in me that way—they’re gay and dating each other.”

“Oh.” Gina sighed, “Well, they still sound like nice girls and don’t worry, one day you’ll find someone. Just be patient.”

“Yeah, Mom.” Jim nodded his head as an image of the loud redheaded girl he saw in the diner popped in his mind. Then, remembering Angie’s words, his lips turned up in a slight grin. _Maybe in about ten years_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank WildDogJJ for permitting me to use this alternate universe version of his original character, Jim Carbone in this story. If you haven't already done so, please check out his Quinn series, you'll be glad you did.


	17. First Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizaveta and Angie take their relationship to the next level as the rest of the Morgendorffers go camping.

“Good news, szereto.” Elizaveta said as she spoke to her girlfriend over the phone. “Anya and Apa agreed to me staying home instead of going camping with everyone else.”

“How did you pull that off?” A surprised Angie exclaimed.

“It wasn’t easy.” Elizaveta sighed as she recounted the events of earlier that morning.

 

**_Earlier:_ **

“Fifty dollars an hour for a math tutor!” Jake exclaimed upon hearing Quinn’s announcement at the breakfast table.

“I just got the word from my periodontist.” Helen sighed as she sat down next to her husband, “Six months’ worth of gum work at eight hundred dollars a month.”

“Eight hundred dollars!” An increasingly agitated Jake practically screamed as Elizaveta gritted her teeth.

“Did you know Congress is spending 250 billion dollars on the military?” Daria nonchalantly commented as she looked up from the paper.

“250 billion dollars!” Jake screamed, “Tutoring! Gum work! Congress!” He threw his hands up in the air, “For once in my life…Ahhh! My eye!”

“Jake!” Helen gasped, “Not again!”

“Quinn…” Daria smirked, “Get a camera.”

“Is Apa going to be all right, Anya?” Elizaveta asked as she rushed to her step-father’s side.

“He’ll be fine, dear.” Helen replied reassuringly as she spared a brief glare at her natural daughters. “He’s just stressed out.” She then came to a sudden decision, “I’m going to tell Eric that I’m taking Friday off. Heaven knows I’ve got the leave time and if I don’t use it, I’ll lose it. A camping trip is just what we all need. It’ll give Jake a chance to decompress and us all a chance to reconnect.”

“Mom!” Quinn protested, “I had a date planned.”

“You can cancel it dear.” Helen replied, not accepting her youngest daughter’s excuse this time.

“It’ll be just like before…” Then, seeing her daughters in the room, she quickly amended with a mournful sigh, “It’ll be fun.”

“Anya…” Elizaveta cautiously ventured after watching Daria and Quinn stomp back up the stairs, both of them grumbling under their breaths after getting shot down trying to get out of the camping trip, “I think I might be able to help with at least Quinn’s math tutoring…”

“Hmmm…” Helen responded, “…your grades are high in both math and science…and you do have your little study group. All right.” Then her lips turned up in a slight grin, “So…what’s it going to cost me?”

“Well…Angie and I did have plans for this weekend…” 

“I see.” Helen exhaled deeply, “I knew it was only a matter of time before this came up, but I kept hoping that it would come up later rather than sooner. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to be like my mother. She…” Helen shook her head in sadness as the memories came pouring out.

Virginia, when Helen was a teenager

“Get upstairs and change right this instant!” Emma Barksdale ordered as her middle daughter came out wearing the new green mini dress that she had bought with her allowance money the day before. “No daughter of mine is going to go out looking like some tramp. You’re a Barksdale, young lady and I expect you to act like one—not like some brazen hussy.”

“Mom…” The feisty auburn-haired teen shot back, “I paid for this with my own money. Besides…” She remarked, her voice taking on a more caustic tone, “I don’t hear you saying anything about Rita’s dress and it’s as short as mine!”

“Rita comports herself like a lady.” Emma exclaimed as she drew back her hand as if to slap her wayward daughter, “Now get back to your room and change before I decide to give you a whipping.”

 

**_The present,_ **

Shaking her head, Elizaveta remarked in a sympathetic voice, “Anya…would she really have…”

“Beaten me?” Helen finished, her voice taking on a somber note, “Yeah. She beat both me and my younger sister, Amy—although not so much Amy as me. She saved up her really hard beatings for me. Mom played favorites. Rita was her darling and never did anything wrong. She mostly ignored Amy. And me…” She shook her head as she wiped away a tear. “I promised myself I would never be like her and yet—here I am—making a lot of the same mistakes.”

“Anya…you’re nothing like her. You’ve never once beaten us…”

“But I let other things like work get in between me and you all.” Helen confessed, “And I let Quinn get away with too much—just like Mom did with Rita. And as for Daria—she’s just like Amy. Cynical…sarcastic…I keep trying to reach her and I keep failing.” Her lips then turned up in a sad, yet also warm, smile. “It’s funny…and…in a way…sad…that I get along so much better with you and I feel closer to you than my natural daughters. We’re alike in a lot of ways, you know. You’re like me in that once you set your mind to do something—you’re going to do it no matter what. You push yourself hard and you’re not afraid to take risks.” 

Shaking her head, Helen continued her monologue. “It’s funny…most of the time when I talk to you, I feel like I’m talking to a grown woman and not a teenage girl—you’re so mature for your age. Here we are, talking about you having sex and I’m not freaking out. Instead, we’re having a conversation about it just as if I was talking to Marianne about her new boyfriend.” She shook her head, “To be honest, if I was having this conversation with Daria or Quinn or if I found out they were either sexually active or considering having sex, I’d probably be a basket case.”

“I feel like I can talk to you about this stuff too, Anya.” Elizaveta replied, “Maybe it’s because me and Angie have been straight with you from the beginning…but also because…well…” she stammered, “…I trust you.”

“Honey…” Helen’s lips quivered as she quickly daubed the tears from her eyes that were beginning to form. “That’s the nicest and sweetest thing I’ve ever heard and I hope I never do anything to make you doubt that trust. And yes, you and Angie have been up front with me and her mother from the beginning.” Helen conceded and then sighed, “The problem here is…I’ve kind of painted myself into a corner. How can I let you stay after telling Daria and Quinn they have to go? If I do that, I’ll be doing the exact same thing that Mom did with Rita.”

“I think I might have a solution…” Elizaveta replied and then laid out her proposal. “Our dance recital is coming up soon and the dance club was planning on getting together for an informal dry run next weekend anyway. I’m pretty sure I can get Ms. Defoe and everyone else to do it this weekend. It will be school sanctioned and…we really do need to do at least one or two more dry runs before we do it live, so it won’t be a lie or false cover—we’ll really be working…”

Helen chuckled softly, “You really should consider going into either law school or politics when you graduate college my dear. I can go along with your solution.” She then took a deep breath, “About the other thing…are you sure about this…are you two ready? Your first time only happens once. Please…don’t make the same mistake I did, honey. I still remember my first time and I would do anything if I could take it back…”

 

**_Virginia, several years ago when Helen was a teenager_ **

Grimacing as she took off her mini dress and put on a knee length dress that she knew her mother would not yell at her for wearing, Helen came to a decision. Neatly folding the mini dress, she put it into a handbag. “I can change into this over at Sally’s. I’m going to that party tonight and I’m going to wear my new dress and have a good time and Mom can take a flying fu…”

“Caught ya, Sis.”

“Amy.” Helen sighed, “What are you doing in my room?”

“Just came in to ask you to drop me off at Carol’s. Give me a lift and loan me some money for burgers and fries and I won’t tell Mom you’re sneaking off to go to a party.” Amy smirked.

“All right.” Helen sighed, “Get your stuff together and meet me at the car.”

After dropping off Amy at her friend’s house, Helen drove her second-hand Dodge to Sally’s. “Hey, Sally!” Helen sighed as her friend opened the door. “Can I change into my dress here? Mom pitched a fit about me wearing it even though Rita has the exact same dress in a different color.”

“Sure.” Sally, a slender girl of seventeen with brown curly hair responded as she walked with Helen to her bedroom. “You can change in here. We’ll take my car to the party.”

“Thanks.” Helen replied, her lips turning up in a wan grin.

“Rough day at home?” Sally asked as she began applying her makeup.

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head. “Mom was at her worst today. Well…graduation is two months away and then summer and then college.”

“Still going to Middleton?” Sally inquired.

“No choice.” Helen responded in a grim tone, “Mom made it clear that if I went to Berkeley or UCLA she wasn’t paying for it. Of course…” she groaned, “…by the time she told me, the application deadlines for all the other schools I wanted to go to had passed so I was stuck with going to Middleton or staying home until spring semester and there’s no way I’m going to spend four more months at home with her and Amy.”

“That sucks.” Sally commiserated and then smiling, attempted to cheer her friend up, “But hey, the party tonight’s going to be a gas. Lots of good looking guys there…who knows…you might score.”

 

**_The Present_ **

“That party led to me making one of the biggest mistakes of my life. That’s where I met David.” Helen confessed.

“David?”

Helen nodded her head. “David. He was like one of those bad boys from the TV shows that Quinn likes to watch. Dark hair…leather jacket…kind of broody…he dropped out of high school a year before me. He spun this story about being a street racer and belonging to a gang. In short…he was everything my mother hated, so naturally I went for him.”

“He was…”

“My first time…” Helen nodded her head, “Yeah. In the back seat of his car. Mom found out I was seeing him and threatened to disown me if I didn’t break it off with him. So…I let him take me to this place where couples would go to…you know…I didn’t know what I was doing. I was angry and he was…I guess you could say selfish. After we…. you know…he dropped me off back home and when I tried to call him the next day…said he was leaving. I never saw him again.”

“I’m sorry, Anya, but it’s not like that with me and Angie…”

“No. It isn’t.” Helen sighed, “I know you two really do care for each other…”

“We love each other.” Elizaveta gently, yet firmly, corrected.

“All right…” Helen let out a breath of air, “You love each other. But are you sure you’re ready…”

“Yes, Anya.” Elizaveta promptly replied, “We’ve been building towards this for a long time.”

“You’ve both handled your relationship very maturely to date.” Helen reluctantly conceded, “And I did ask you to be honest with me when you thought you were ready to take it to the next level and you have been. I also know this isn’t a spur of the moment thing for you. You’ve been seeing each other for several months now. And…” She admitted resignedly, “I know that if you two want to go ahead, short of locking you up in a tower, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. And knowing the two of you…” A wry chuckle escaped Helen’s lips, “I don’t even think that would work.” Her expression one of maternal concern, she advised, “Please. Just be sure.”

“We are, Anya.” Elizaveta answered back in a soft voice. “We both want this.”

“All right…” Helen reluctantly agreed, “You can stay and…keep an eye on the house.” She then added almost as an afterthought, “Better we not tell your father what’s going on—at least not yet. Let’s wait until he’s destressed.”

“That’s probably a good idea, Anya.” Elizaveta readily agreed. “And…thank you for trusting me.”

 

“I’m surprised you talked your mom into letting you stay...” Angie chuckled after hearing her girlfriend’s story. 

“It wasn’t as easy as I told it.” Elizaveta confessed. “Once Quinn found out I was staying, she kicked up a fuss until I got Stacy on the phone to distract her.”

“What about Daria?” Angie inquired, “I’ve got a feeling she wasn’t too pleased.”

“She wasn’t at first.” Elizaveta admitted, “But I think she figured out what’s going on so she didn’t put up much of a fight over it. She just told me she’d put it on accounts payable.”

“In other words…” Angie quipped, “You owe her a favor.”

“Right.” Elizaveta replied and then asked, “So…how about your anya? Any problems?”

“No.” Angie answered back, “We talked about it and, kinda like Helen, she wanted me to be sure this is what I want and when I said yes, she said something about me growing up too fast and hugged me.”

“You’ve got a great anya.” Elizaveta said in a soft voice.

“Yours isn’t so bad either.” Angie replied, “Even if she does get a little high strung sometimes.”

“Dealing with the three of us and apa makes her that way.” Elizaveta laughed and then inquired in a soft voice, “So…this weekend?”

“Yeah.” Angie responded also in a gentle tone. “I’ll make the reservations for Chez Pierre for Saturday night and pick you up at seven.”

“Great.” Elizaveta replied, “I have to pick up a few things in town during the day, but I’ll be ready by then.”

“See you then baby.” Angie laughed, “Love you.”

“Love you too, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she hung up the phone.

 

“Take care of the house, dear.” Helen instructed as she and Jake loaded the last of the camping supplies on to the SUV. 

“Too bad you’re not coming with us, kiddo!” Jake exclaimed with a big smile on his face, as he spoke to Elizaveta, “Fresh air…roughing it in the great outdoors…”

“Ugh!” Quinn scowled, “I hate the smell of bug spray.”

“Just use your regular perfume.” Daria sniped, “That’ll work just as well on them.”

“Really?” Quinn responded, not catching her older sister’s sarcasm.

“Really, Quinn.” Daria deadpanned.

“You all have a good time.” Elizaveta smiled as everyone got into the SUV. “And don’t worry about the house…it’ll be here when you get back.”

Giving her step-daughter a concerned look, Helen asked, “Are you sure about this, Elizaveta? Is this what you want?”

“Don’t worry, Anya.” Elizaveta responded, “I’ve never been more sure.”

“Then, take care and we’ll see you on Sunday.”

 

“I thought today’s dry run went pretty well.” Angie grinned as she toweled herself off after her shower.

“I thought so too.” Elizaveta agreed as she stepped out of the shower and began drying off. “What do you think, Ms. Defoe?” Elizaveta asked, calling out to the art teacher and dance club sponsor.

“You’ve got all the moves down and the band’s synching better with you. I think we’re almost there.” Claire responded, “So…what are you two doing tonight?”

“Dinner and dancing.” Angie replied.

“Sounds like a fun evening.” The teacher grinned, “You two enjoy yourselves and I’ll see you on Monday.”

“So…” Angie whispered as she drew close to her girlfriend, “Seven tonight?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, “I’ve got go to the mall to pick up a few things for when we get back to my place…”

“Oh…” Angie raised her eyebrows in a coy gesture, “Like what?”

“You’ll see…” Elizaveta responded with a wink and a kiss.

“Ok, you two!” A fellow dancer teased, “No fooling around in the locker room!”

“See you tonight, baby.” Angie said as she gave her girlfriend a goodbye kiss.

Returning home after her shopping trip, Elizaveta smiled as she first took out the scented candles and placed them in her room. She then laid one rose on her bed and around it strewed rose petals. Then, from her bed down the stairs through the house to the front door, she laid out a path of rose petals. Smiling, she laid down on the couch to catch a few hours nap before getting ready for her big night.

 

Sighing as the tent her husband was trying to put up collapsed yet again, Helen looked down at the campfire pit she was digging by herself—her two daughters having been sent to pick up firewood— and muttered, “We should have started this earlier.”

Jake, overhearing, growled, “You sound just like my father.”

Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, Helen barely managed to repress the snippy retort on her lips, instead, responding as she began to help her husband, “What, dear?”

His rage finally exploding, Jake railed against his father’s refusal not only to sleep in a tent or sleeping bag, but also not letting Jake do so either, “If it rained, well—tough crap! No tent for Mad Dog Morgendorffer and no tent for little Jakey either!”

“That’s good, Jake…” Helen soothed, “Let it all out.”

Calming down as the girls returned with the firewood, Jake answered back in low voice, “Thanks, honey. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you.”

“I love you too, Jake.” Helen responded, giving her husband a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. Turning her attention to the girls, she instructed, “Just put the wood in the pit. I’ll light it in a bit.”

As she kindled the fire, Helen glanced to where her two daughters sat, keeping as much distance between each other—and her—as possible. Wiping the tears from her eyes, the auburn-haired mother put on as stoic a front as possible as she let out a sigh, “I wish you were here, Elizaveta.” She whispered to herself, “I could use a friend now.”

 

After she got home from practice, Angie also, after grabbing a quick bite for lunch, laid down for a quick nap before beginning the process of getting ready for her date. Quickly falling asleep, Angie enjoyed a blissful nap until awakened by a pounding on her door, “Better get up, honey or you’re not going to make it to Elizaveta’s on time.”

Glancing at the alarm clock, Angie cursed, “Damn! I’ve got to get a move on!” Dashing to the bathroom, she called out, “Thanks, Mom!” After a quick shower, she picked out her outfit for the evening, a stylish dark red midi with matching high heels and jewelry. Smiling as she put on her makeup and jewelry, she remarked at her reflection in the mirror, “Are we smoking hot or what?” She then packed her overnight bag, making sure that the purple chemise she had bought several months ago at the Mall of the Millennium was packed. Taking a deep breath, she exited her room and walked down the stairs. Seeing her mother on the couch reading, she spoke up, “Well, Mom…how do I look?”

“You look beautiful, dear.” Jessica Harmon answered back as she gazed at her daughter. Sighing, she remarked, “Your Dad would be so proud of you if he could see you now. You’ve grown up to be a lovely young woman.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Angie replied as she hugged her mother, “And thank you for being so understanding.”

“Honey…” Jessica entreated, “Just be sure that this is what you want and that you’re ready for it. You and Elizaveta are both good girls and I love you both and I don’t want to see either one of you hurt by rushing into something you’re not ready for.”

“I love you too, Mom…and…” Angie took a deep breath, “…we’re ready. We’ve been dating each other for several months now and we love each other and we both want this.”

“I know, dear.” Jessica responded as she wiped away a tear, “It’s just that…well…you’re not my baby anymore. You’re a young woman and…it’s kind of hard sometimes for me to think of you that way.”

“Mom…” Angie smiled as she hugged her mother, “I’m always going to be your baby—no matter what.” Then, giving her mother a goodbye hug and kiss, the blonde cheerleader exited her house, her heart racing as she looked forward to her evening out and then afterwards back at her girlfriend’s place.

The butterflies in her stomach once again stirred as Angie pressed the button next to the front door of the Morgendorffer house. A minute or so later, the door opened to reveal Elizaveta, absolutely ravishing in an emerald green, low-cut dress with a gold necklace and earrings. Smiling, Angie said a silent prayer of thanks that her voice didn’t crack, “Hi, baby…you ready?”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta, feeling nervous herself, responded as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips. “Let’s go.”

On the way to Chez Pierre, both girls talked about their day and tried, with mixed success to disguise their nervousness until, finally arriving at the restaurant, they were escorted by the waiter who had served them the first time they went there several months ago to a lovely table for two with an excellent view. After taking their orders, the waiter discreetly made his exit as Angie cleared her throat.

“So…you as nervous as I am?” She asked, deciding to finally address the elephant in the room.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta admitted, “Just a little…”

Taking a deep breath, Angie then asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with…”

“Yes.” Elizaveta nodded her head affirmatively, “…more than anything. You?”

“Yeah.” Angie also nodded her head, “I haven’t been more sure of anything in my life. I’m just feeling some…butterflies…” She chuckled nervously.

“I know the feeling.” Elizaveta shyly responded, “But I really do want to be with you…I want to…” She then blushed a deep crimson.

“Same here.” Angie responded, also blushing, “I can’t wait to kiss those lovely…”

The waiter then arrived with their drinks and appetizers, once again quietly withdrawing after he served them. As they ate the two girls constantly flirted with each other with their eyes and feet until, their dinner done and the bill paid and a substantial tip left for the very attentive waiter, they departed hand-in-hand.

“Alessandro’s?” Angie asked as she slipped her arm around Elizaveta’s waist.

“Yes.” Elizaveta responded, also putting her arm around the waist of her lover. “I want to dance with you.”

 

Helen sat alone allowing herself to be bathed by the campfire’s warm glow as the events of this day played through her mind. The day started with the near disaster of setting camp. Then the almost constant sniping between her daughters as she tried to keep Jake settled down while at the same time fighting down the impulse to get out the cell phone that she had hidden in her backpack. Then the burnt dinner thanks to Jake adding lighter fuel to the fire. And finally…to top everything off…everyone’s campfire stories. Jake’s horror story about…of course…his father. Quinn’s story reflecting her preoccupation with surface appearances. Her story when she unintentionally let everyone see her inner desires and frustrations. And then, lastly, Daria’s story which gave her an uncomfortable glimpse into her older daughter’s subconscious anger and rage. “Well, Elizaveta…I hope you’re having a good night at least.”

 

“Tonight’s been wonderful, baby.” Angie sighed as the couple reached the front door of the Morgendorffer residence. “Dinner and dancing with my girl…”

“It’s not over yet.” Elizaveta smiled as she slid the key into the lock. “Close your eyes and wait here for just a minute.”

“Okay, baby.” Angie replied as she closed her eyes, “But don’t keep me too long.”

“I won’t, szereto.” Elizaveta responded, giving Angie a quick kiss as she entered the house. After a brief time, she then reappeared and whispered into her girlfriend’s ear. “You can open your eyes now, drágám.”

Angie gasped in delight as she saw the rose petals on the floor leading up to the staircase and the candles lighting the way up the stairs towards Elizaveta’s room. Taking Elizaveta’s hand in hers, Angie let her Hungarian lover guide her up the stairs, neither girl saying a word. Entering her bedroom, Elizaveta gave Angie a tender kiss. “I’m going to the bathroom to change, szereto.” She whispered as she picked up her nightie. “You can change in here.”

“Don’t take too long, baby.” Angie whispered back as her heart raced in anticipation.

Soon after she had changed into her purple chemise, Elizaveta appeared at the bedroom door wearing her baby blue baby-doll nightie. Angie gasped as she saw her girlfriend bathed in the gentle light of the candle. “Oh baby…” Angie sighed, “You’re so sexy…”

“You are too, szereto.” Elizaveta answered back, her quivering lips adding to her overall sensuousness as she slowly approached, her hips swaying gently in a suggestive manner. Drawing closer to Angie, Elizaveta gathered her in her arms for a long, gentle, loving kiss. Then, breaking away from their embrace and taking Angie by the hand, she guided her to her waiting bed where even more rose petals had been strewed. “I love you, szereto.”

“I love you too, baby.” 

 

“Morning.” Elizaveta whispered in a husky voice as she snuggled up closer to the naked body lying in bed next to her.

“Morning yourself, baby.” Angie whispered back as she gave Elizaveta a kiss. “Mmmm…I could go for a shower now.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Elizaveta responded as she nibbled Angie’s ear.

“Forget what I just said.” Angie purred as she trailed kisses down the length of her blonde lover’s body. “Showering can wait. I’m hungry.”

Gasping with pleasure, Elizaveta moaned, “Oh…szereto…yes…yes...YES!”

Smiling as her lover cried out in ecstasy, Angie gave the focus of her attentions a quick kiss before making her way back up Elizaveta’s body, showering her with kisses and caresses. She then kissed Elizaveta, their kiss a long and passionate one as their tongues intertwined. 

“Your turn, szereto…” Elizaveta murmured in a husky voice as she began to make her way down Angie’s body. Now, it was Angie crying out, the phone ringing just as she finished climaxing.

Catching her breath, Angie managed to speak between gasps, “Wow…that was intense. I don’t think I’ve ever…at least not since the last time you did that.” Hearing the phone ring, she managed a chuckle, “You better get that. It might be your folks. I need a few minutes to recover anyway. You just about killed me.”

Reluctantly getting out of bed, Elizaveta picked up the cordless phone in her room, “What is it?” She growled into the phone.

“Sorry, Sis.” Daria replied, “Hope I didn’t interrupt anything, but it’s important. Mom, Dad, and Quinn are in the hospital.”

“What?!”

Seeing the panic-stricken look on her lover’s face, Angie, her face etched with concern, asked, “What’s wrong baby?”

Putting the phone on speaker, Elizaveta asked, “What happened, Daria? Are they all right? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Daria answered back. “They ate some psychotropic berries and had to have their stomachs pumped. I think they’re ok now, but they’re sleeping off the sedatives.” Taking a deep breath, Daria continued, “Thankfully, Mom packed her cell phone in her backpack so I was able to get help. We were airlifted to the hospital.”

“You’re still at the hospital?” Hearing Daria’s affirmative response, Elizaveta quickly replied, “We’re on our way. We’ll be there as quickly as we can.” 

“I’ll be here.” Daria replied, “See you soon.”

“Szereto?” Elizaveta asked as she made her way to her closet.

“Of course, baby.” Angie replied as she quickly put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “They’re going to be ok, honey.” She cooed, giving her lover a quick embrace.

“I know.” Elizaveta responded as she finished dressing. “Let’s go.”

Arriving at the hospital, the girls quickly made their way to the room where the Morgendorffers were in. Meeting Daria at the door, Elizaveta asked as she caught her breath, “How are they?”

“They’re fine, Elizaveta.” Daria replied as she ushered the pair into the room. “They’re still sleeping.” She said as she suppressed a yawn.

“How long has it been since you slept, Daria?” Angie asked as Elizaveta took Helen by the hand.

“Not since this all began.” The auburn-haired teenager confessed.

“There’s an extra bed over there.” Angie said, pointing to the spare bed next to Quinn’s. “Why don’t you get some sleep and we’ll keep watch. We’ll wake you up if something happens.”

“Thanks.” Daria answered back, this time not bothering to cover up her yawn. “I feel like I’m about to collapse.”

“Get to bed, Daria.” Elizaveta gently commanded as she went over to Jake and felt his forehead. “We’ve got it covered.”

As Daria collapsed on the spare bed, Elizaveta went over to where Quinn was sleeping and took her by the hand.

“You gonna be ok, baby?” Angie asked as she placed a supportive hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a wan smile, “You’re here.”

“Not gonna leave you, honey tongue.” Angie smiled as she gave Elizaveta a tender kiss. “We left so quick we didn’t have time to grab that shower. Go wash up. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

After several minutes in the bathroom where she cleaned herself off and took care of other necessities, Elizaveta, after flushing the toilet, emerged. “Your turn, szereto.”

“Thanks, baby.” Angie replied, “Be back in a bit.”

Grabbing a chair, Elizaveta sat in between Helen and Jake’s beds and taking both of her adoptive parents by the hand, sat quietly as they slept. Then, feeling her girlfriend’s fingers massaging her neck and shoulders, she smiled.

“Any changes?”

“Not yet.” Elizaveta responded, “They’re still sleeping.”

“They should be waking up soon.”

Turning their heads towards the voice, Elizaveta and Angie both noticed a brown haired man wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope in his pocket. “I’m Dr. Williams.” He said, introducing himself as he approached Helen and Jake’s beds. “I assume you’re the other Morgendorffer sister? Daria told us to expect you.”

“Elizaveta…” The blonde nodded her head, “Yes.” She then tilted her head towards Angie. “And this is Angie.”

“Hi. I’m the doctor who performed the operations on your parents and sister.” He then noticed Daria sleeping on the spare bed. “It’s good that she’s finally getting some sleep. She came in exhausted. If it wasn’t for her quick thinking…” The doctor left his comment unfinished.

“How are they doing, Doctor?” Elizaveta asked as the doctor placed his stethoscope on both Helen and Jake’s chests and then took their pulses and blood pressure.

“They’re doing fine.” Dr. Williams replied with a confident smile. “Their vitals are strong and the sedative will be wearing off soon. I want to keep them here overnight just to be safe, but, if all goes well, they’ll be back home tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, Doctor.” Elizaveta sighed with relief.

“The nurse will be here in a few minutes.” The doctor smiled, “There’s the call button if you need anything.”

As the physician departed, Angie gave her girlfriend a quick hug, “They’re going to be ok.”

“I know they are.” Elizaveta replied as she smiled warmly at her slumbering sister, “Thanks to Daria.”

Hearing a moan coming from Helen, Elizaveta’s heart raced as she saw her adoptive mother beginning to stir. “Anya?”

“Elizaveta?” Helen responded. Then, feeling her ward’s hand clutching hers, her lips turned up in wan smile, “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, Anya.” Elizaveta answered back in a soft voice. “You’re going to be ok. You, apa, and Quinn ate some bad berries and they had to pump your stomachs.”

“I remember Jake fixing breakfast with wild berries…” Helen managed a slight huff of amusement. “The berries…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled. “They were psychotropic. Thankfully Daria didn’t eat any of them and she found your phone.” She then whispered in her adoptive mother’s ear, “I’m glad you cheated and brought it with you.”

“Jake and Quinn?” Helen asked, her face now showing worry.

“They’re going to be fine too.” Elizaveta assured. She then spotted Jake stirring, “Apa’s waking up now and I think Quinn will be getting up soon.”

“You two…” Helen gently inquired, “Did you…”

“It was wonderful. Everything we hoped it would be, anya.” Elizaveta smiled, blushing as her girlfriend held her close. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

“I’m just glad you’re happy.” Helen responded as Jake, noticing his step-daughter, called out in a raspy voice.

“Hey, kiddo.”

“Morning, Apa.” Elizaveta smiled as she gave Jake a kiss on the forehead.

“Uhhh…where am I?”

“It’s a long story, Apa.” Elizaveta chuckled gently as she sat down next to Jake, “Let me tell it to you.”

 

“It’s good to be back home!” Helen sighed as she, Jake, and Quinn entered their home and immediately made their way to the living room. “Next time we go camping…” She vowed, sparing her husband a brief glare, followed quickly by a smile, “I’m doing all the cooking.”

“No more camping for me.” Quinn swore, “Nope…never again.”

“Did Angie go back home, dear?” Helen asked as Elizaveta joined the others.

“Yeah.” The young blonde answered back, “She wanted to spend some time with her mother.”

“That’s good.” Helen responded with a smile, her grin growing wider as she spied a rose petal on the floor and then the extinguished candles. “So…”

“Yeah…I kinda need to do some sweeping and picking up.” Elizaveta replied with a lopsided grin. “When Daria called about you all, we left in such a rush that I didn’t have time to…”

“That’s ok, sweetie.” Helen chuckled, “It can wait until later.” Then, spying her oldest daughter, her smile grew wider, “And thank you, Daria. We might not be here now without you.”

“That’s right, kiddo.” Jake agreed as he gave his daughter a hug. “You’re a champ—right, Quinn?”

As it dawned on her that it was her older sister who had quite probably saved her and her parents from serious harm and maybe even death, Quinn’s face turned red as she lowered her head. “Yeah.” She said in a low voice, “Thank you, Daria.”

“Ummm…. don’t mention it.” Daria stammered.

“Well…I’m just happy you all are safe.” Elizaveta said as she got up and stretched. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to do some cleaning up and then I think I’m going to take a nap…”

“Rough night sleeping?” Jake asked in a completely innocent voice.

Blushing, Elizaveta responded as Helen coughed while Daria snickered under her breath, “You might say that, Apa.” Then, quickly making her way up the stairs, she smiled as Quinn called up to her.

“Ummm…Elizaveta…when you get up…maybe you can help me out with my math?”

“Sure, Quinn.” Elizaveta replied, “I’d love to.”

Several minutes later as she was talking to Angie about the day, she heard Jake’s shout, “Fifteen thousand dollars!” and Daria’s “Mom…. get the painkillers. Quinn…get the camera.”

“Yep, szereto…” Elizaveta laughed, “Everything’s back to normal. Your anya’s going to see your aunt and you’ve got the house to yourself? I’d love to…yeah…I can’t wait…you know how much I love it when you do that to me…love you too.”


	18. Quarterback Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy Sherman makes his 'triumphant' return to Lawndale High to dedicate a goal post in his honor and it goes downhill from there. Elizaveta and Angie both also learn a very important lesson about death.

On seeing his adoptive daughter entering the kitchen for breakfast wearing her cheerleading uniform, Jake called out, “Mornin’ kiddo! I didn’t know there was a game today?”

“No, Apa, There isn’t.” Elizaveta smiled as she poured a cup of coffee and put a couple of pieces of bread into the toaster. “The school’s honoring some football player who used to play for the team a few years ago, so we’ve got to wear our uniforms.”

“Really?” Helen interjected.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she buttered her toast and then added s spoonful of cherry preserves. “He’s supposed to dedicate one of the new goal posts.”

“A ceremony for a new goal post while the library ceiling still hasn’t been fixed.” Daria grumbled as she glanced up from the lifestyle section of the paper. 

“You’re preaching to the choir here, Daria.” Elizaveta riposted, “Me and Angie have both been complaining about that for months now.”

“I know.” Daria relented. “I’m not blaming you. I’m just pissed because it really wouldn’t take that much money to fix it if they do it now. But if they wait until it’s too late…”

“Maybe I should bring it up at the next PTA.” Helen observed.

“So…is Angie coming by to pick you up, kiddo?” Jake inquired as he flashed a quick smile to his blonde step-daughter.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a warm grin. “She should be getting here any time now.” As she was refilling her coffee cup, the doorbell rang, “That’s her.” Elizaveta declared, “I’ll get it.”

Laughing as Elizaveta raced for the door, Helen quipped to her husband, “Were we ever like that, Jake?”

“Still are.” Jake grinned, giving his wife a kiss as both Daria and Quinn groaned at that parental show of affection.

Opening the door, Elizaveta smiled at the sight of her girlfriend, also dressed in her uniform. “Hi honey tongue.” Angie whispered, calling Elizaveta by her new private pet name.

“Hi yourself, édes ajkak…sweet lips.” Elizaveta whispered back, using her new private name for Angie.

“So…” Angie whispered back coyly, “Which of my lips are sweeter?”

“They both are.” Elizaveta whispered back with a leer as she kissed her girlfriend, “But these lips are the only ones I can kiss right now.” Speaking up, she invited Angie into the house, “Come on in. We’ve got time for a cup of coffee.”

“I never turn town coffee.” Angie chuckled as she followed Elizaveta into the kitchen.

“Hey, Angie!” Jake called out in a friendly voice, “Hear there’s a goalpost dedication ceremony at the school.”

“Yeah.” Angie snorted, “Ms. Li got Tommy Sherman to come in to cut the ribbon.”

“Tommy Sherman?” Helen inquired.

“Oh…that’s right.” Angie smiled as she put cream and sugar in her coffee. “You haven’t heard about him. Sherman was the quarterback when Lawndale won the state championship a few years ago. I was still in middle school at the time. Almost as dumb as Kevin…” As Daria let out a snort of derision, Angie chuckled, “The only difference between the two is that Kevin at least lets the other players have their moments and he’s not deliberately mean or selfish. Sherman wanted to be the only one getting the attention and didn’t care about anything but scoring the winning touchdown.”

“Just like some of the boys at the military academy.” Jake fumed, “They only cared about themselves. Never gave poor Jakey a hand even when he was tangled up in the Jacob’s Ladder!”

“Jake…” Helen soothed, “It’s all right…there are no Jacob’s Ladders here.”

Finishing her coffee, Angie gave Elizaveta a playful nudge, “Ready to go, baby?”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta answered as she picked up her book bag.

“What about you…Daria…Quinn…wanna ride?” Angie asked.

“No thanks.” Daria answered back, “I’m walking with Jane.”

“Sandi’s picking me up.” Quinn replied.

“Ok.” Angie grinned as she and Elizaveta left, “See you at school.”

 

As the Barbies walked together towards their lockers, they noticed a man with shoulder length mousy-brown hair strutting down the hall. “Whoever he is…” Elizaveta snorted, “He looks full of himself.”

“That’s Tommy Sherman!” Kevin, overhearing Elizaveta’s comment, gushed, his eyes wide at the sight of the legendary Lawndale quarterback. “He’s my hero!”

“What’s he doing here now?” Elizaveta asked, “I thought the dedication was supposed to happen this afternoon.”

“It is.” Angie sneered as she witnessed Sherman ogling the behind of a passing female student. “He’s just a perv who gets off on looking at high school chicks.”

“I can’t wait to meet him!” Kevin declared enthusiastically as he began to approach him only to be held up by Angie’s hand on his shoulder.

“Better get to class, Kevin or you’ll be late and you know what Mr. DeMartino will do to you if that happens.”

Watching as Kevin sauntered to class, seemingly without a care in the world, Elizaveta sighed, “He’s a big child who’s going to meet his idol. Why do I think this is not going to go well?”

“Because it won’t.” Angie replied through pursed lips as the pair watched the former quarterback proposition Jeannette, also wearing a cheerleading uniform after having made the squad, as Eddie was walking next to her. The pair watched as Jeannette had to practically drag away an angry Eddie, who had balled up his fists and seemed ready to throw a punch at the obnoxious oaf.

“That pervert!” Jeannette growled as she and Eddie approached the Barbies. Smiling at her boyfriend, she said in a soothing voice, “I’m glad you didn’t throw that punch—even though he deserved it.”

“What did he say?” Angie inquired as the foursome made their way down the corridor.

“He made a comment about my hair and then told me to ditch my ‘loser’ boyfriend.” Jeannette replied with a scowl. “First, he snarked about my mauve tinting.” Jeannette laughed. “He said, ‘When he was the quarterback…’ Jeannette’s imitation of Tommy Sherman’s voice bringing laughter to her companions, “ ‘…the cheerleaders didn’t look like punk rockers.’ Shit…. If that was all he said, I’d have taken that as a compliment and laughed my ass off.” Jennette snorted and then her laughter vanished to be replaced by a vicious scowl, “But then he tells us that ‘In his day, the cheerleaders only put out for football players…’ I’m not a damned whore because I’ve become a cheerleader or because I’m going out with Eddie or because I like hanging out with you guys and Nikki and Lisa now.”

“I get the feeling Tommy Sherman’s not the only one calling you that.” Angie observed in a soft voice.

“He’s not.” Jeannette admitted as Eddie gave his girlfriend’s hand a supportive squeeze. “I’ve been catching it from some of my old friends. They’re saying I sold out.”

“That’s not true.” Elizaveta declared as Eddie and Angie both nodded their heads in agreement. “You’re the same person you’ve always been.”

“No…I’m not. Not completely. But thanks for saying that.” Jennette smiled, “I’ve changed some and I’m ok with the changes. Ms. Defoe’s right. If I’m to grow as an artist—and as a person—I’ve got to be open to new experiences. All I can do is hope that my old friends will eventually understand that and accept me for who I am now. But…I haven’t turned my back on my past either.” She smirked, “That’s why I’m keeping the mauve tinting in my hair—to remind me of that.”

“You’ve got a lot of guts, Jeannette.” Angie remarked in a soft voice, “I don’t think I could have had that courage without Elizaveta beside me.” She then gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t want to think about what I’d be like without her.”

“And I without you, szereto.” Elizaveta responded.

“Eddie’s been with me every step of the way.” Jeannette blushed. “I think I’ve ruined at least a half dozen of his shirts with all the crying I’ve done.”

“It’s all right, Jeannie…” Eddie smiled, “I buy them by the bulk at the new Payday store.”

“You…” Jeannette playfully slapped her boyfriend who then responded by giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s better.” She smirked.

“Gotta train ‘em right.” 

Turning towards the laughing voice, the tiny group all called out, “Hey Nikki…Lisa…”

“Hey guys.” Nikki smiled, “So…have you all met the has-been QB yet?”

“You mean Tommy Sherman?” Elizaveta smirked as the group neared their destinations—Mr. DeMartino’s and Mr. O’Neill’s classrooms. “Not yet, but Jeannette and Eddie had the misfortune.”

“Yeah.” Jeannette scowled as she recounted her and Eddie’s experience with the lout.

“He hit on us too.” Lisa remarked, “When we told him where to get off, he called us a pair of frigid bitches and then strutted off.”

“I was thinking about castrating him and hanging his balls up in my room as a trophy…” Nikki quipped, “But changed my mind after deciding that they were too little.”

“Yeah.” Lisa laughed, “Cutting them off would have been more trouble than it was worth.”

“You two better be ready if you run into him.” Nikki cautioned, “Don’t be surprised if he says or does something stupid when he finds out about the two of you.”

“Baszd him.” Elizaveta swore. 

“What my girlfriend said.” Angie smirked as the group finally reached their destinations. “Well…we better get to class before the bell rings. See you guys later.”

As the Barbies entered Mr. DeMartino’s class, they gave the history teacher sitting at his desk a polite hello. Grunting his acknowledgement, the grumpy teacher’s lips turned up in a slight grin as the two blondes first turned in their homework and then made their way to their seats. Then, as Kevin and Brittany entered the classroom, the smile on his face vanished to be replaced by a scowl. “Kevin…Brittany…aren’t you forgetting something?”

“No…” Brittany shook her head as she absent-mindedly twirled a lock of hair, “I brushed my teeth and used mouthwash…”

“And I took a bath.” The quarterback proudly stated.

“Your homework!” Mr. DeMartino exclaimed as his eye began to bulge. “It’s due today!”

“Ummm….” Kevin stammered, “The dog ate it.”

“Homework?” Brittany exclaimed, “Kevvy…we were so busy making out that we forgot!”

Sinking back down into his seat, Mr. DeMartino placed his palm over his face as he muttered under his breath, sobbing, “They don’t pay me enough for this.”

 

“He’s still here?” A surprised Elizaveta exclaimed as she and Angie spotted Tommy Sherman hanging out in front of one of the lockers as he continued to ogle and proposition the more attractive female students passing him by. “Doesn’t he have somewhere else he needs to be?”

“This is probably all he has going for him.” Angie replied as she shook her head. “He’s stuck in his past.” The pair then watched as he approached Brittany who was at that moment tying her shoes. Then, after a brief exchange of words, they witnessed their friend dash away in tears after first slapping the former athlete. “What the hell?” Angie exclaimed. Seeing that her best friend had rushed into the bathroom, the platinum-blonde cheerleader grabbed her girlfriend by the hand, “Come on, baby—I want to find out what that jerk said to my friend.”

Nodding her head, Elizaveta allowed herself to be led by Angie to the bathroom where the pair saw Brittany washing her face at one of the sinks. “Hey, Britt…” Angie called out in a low, gentle voice, “What happened?”

“He…” Brittany got out between sobs, “…He…Tommy Sherman…wanted me to…he wanted me to…you know…and when I told him I had a boyfriend who admired him…he said he could watch while we…”

Even though both Barbies knew that their friend cheated on her boyfriend about as often as he cheated on her, they gritted their teeth in anger on hearing Brittany’s story. Wiping the tears away from her best friend’s eyes, Angie said in a comforting voice, “It’s ok, Britt…just stay away from him.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta, interjected, “We’ll take care of the seggfej. You gonna be ok now?” 

“Yeah.” Brittany nodded her head. “I’ll be fine. Come on. I want to watch you kick that jerk’s ass.”

“Ready to take out the trash, szereto?” Elizaveta asked Angie in a surprisingly quiet, yet also dangerous voice.

“Let’s do it, baby.” Angie agreed. As the pair left the bathroom, they saw Kevin and Mack both talking to the former quarterback. As they approached, they overheard Tommy Sherman cutting Kevin down. “He doesn’t even realize he’s being insulted.” Angie exhaled as she shook her head disbelievingly.

“Looks like Mack’s about ready to punch the seggfej out.” Elizaveta remarked, gesturing with her head at how the African-American football player was repeatedly opening and closing his hands into fists.

On noticing Brittany with the other cheerleaders, Kevin called out, “Hey, Britt! Did you meet Tommy Sherman?”

“Yes!” Brittany sobbed as she rushed off.

“I’m outta here before I do something I regret.” Mack remarked as he walked away. Then noticing Jodie talking with Jane and Daria, he approached them. “Did you hear that?” He asked in a low voice.

“We heard, honey.” Jodie answered back as she gave her boyfriend a supportive squeeze. “Thanks for keeping your cool. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“I almost lost it a couple of times.” Mack admitted, “What a loser!”

“Show’s not over.” Jane smirked as she pointed in the direction of the two blonde cheerleaders walking towards the former quarterback. “Looks like the Barbies decided to get in on the act.”

“They look pissed.” Jodie noted, her lips turning up in a slight grin.

“This should be fun.” Daria commented as she and everyone else, including Mr. DeMartino watched the coming confrontation.

“I heard about you two.” Tommy Sherman leered as the two blonde cheerleaders approached him. “When I was QB we didn’t allow dykes to be cheerleaders. Well…little ladies…Tommy Sherman’s got a cure for lesbianism right here.” He smirked as he gestured at his crotch, “One experience with Little Tommy Sherman and you’ll be driving stick forever.”

“Oh boy!” Jodie gasped as an evil gleam appeared in her eyes, “That did it…”

“He didn’t just call them the D-word—did he?” An amused Jane exclaimed.

“Yep.” Daria responded as, anticipating the coming response, her lips turned up in a slight grin.

As the scene began to play out, Mr. DeMartino debated on whether he should intervene or not. Then, overhearing what his former student, a slacker who, like Kevin, got by purely through byes and mysteriously changed grades, had called the two cheerleaders who had over the course of the past several months become favorite students of his, the history teacher decided to let events take their course. His lips turning up in an evil grin, DeMartino looked forward to what was about to happen.

“Did he just call us what I think he called us, szereto?” Elizaveta asked on hearing the insult.

“He sure did.” Angie responded in a calm, menacing voice.

“And did he just say that he wanted to baszni us with his little fasz?

“Yep.”

Then, both blondes turned to each other and nodded their heads simultaneously.

**SLAP!**

**SLAP1**

**KICK1**

**KICK1**

**OWWWWW!!!**

“We’ve just witnessed the first stereo slap and shin kick in recorded history.” Daria remarked with a grin as the former quarterback, in a game effort to keep from whimpering, rubbed his shins while the two blondes, after simultaneously brushing back their hair, turned and flounced triumphantly away.

As the pair strode victoriously past their teacher, Mr. DeMartino permitted his lips to turn up in a slight grin as he muttered just loud enough for them to hear, “You two just made my week.”

 

“Heard about what you did to that creep.” Nikki smirked as she and Lisa joined the Barbies at their lunch table. “Way to go.”

“Yeah.” Lisa smirked, “Wish we’d have done that.”

“We should have kicked him in the nuts.” Angie quipped as Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a wicked grin.

“And then stuffed him in the trash can.” The lovely Hungarian laughed.

“You should have seen the look on Ms. Barch’s face when she found out about it.” Nikki chuckled. “It was priceless.”

“Yeah.” Lisa grinned, “I think the two of you scored some extra credit points because of that.”

“I’ll take all I can get.” Angie sighed.

“You’re doing pretty good, szereto.” Elizaveta comforted as she placed a gentle hand on her girlfriend’s arm. “You got a B on the last test and you’re on your way to a B in the course.”

“My first B in science.” Angie grinned, “And it’s all due to my baby.”

“Not me.” Elizaveta demurred, “You did all the hard work. You earned it.”

“Without you helping me…” Angie shook her head, “I wouldn’t have had the desire to push harder.” Momentarily ignoring their friends, Angie gazed deeply into her lover’s eyes, “You make me want to be better.”

“Ok!” Nikki laughed, “You’re both good for each other and the whole school knows it. Now…can we change the subject? What are we going to do this weekend? I’m thinking my backyard pool…wine coolers…grilling something…of course we’re going to invite Brittany and Jeannette too and they’ll want to bring along Kevin and Eddie..”

“We’ll need a playpen to keep Kevin in so that he doesn’t do something stupid like set the house on fire.” Lisa quipped.

“We can always lock him and Brittany in a room and let them go at it.” Elizaveta suggested with a wry grin.

“We do...” Nikki joked back, “And I’m going to make you clean the sheets afterwards.”

“Ewwww….”

All conversation ceased as Kevin burst into the cafeteria with a shocked look on his face and bawling, with Brittany close behind him. “Tommy Sherman is dead!” 

“I’ll settle Brittany down.” Angie sighed as she got up and made her way to her best friend.

“And we’ll take care of Kevin.” Nikki and Lisa both declared.

“And I’ll go find someone who can tell us what the hell’s going on here.” Elizaveta announced as she made her way out of the cafeteria. Seeing Daria and Jane talking in low voices in front of their lockers, Elizaveta approached the pair and inquired, “Do you know what’s going on here?”

“Tommy Sherman was standing in front of my locker and wouldn’t let me get to it.” Daria explained, “So we exchanged words…”

“And…” Elizaveta prompted.

“He called me a misery chick and stormed off.” Daria said in a low voice and then paused as Jane picked up the narrative.

“He went out on to the football field…” The dark-haired artist tried to keep her voice level as she spoke, “And started running like he was still playing. Well…he wasn’t looking where he was going because he was showing off and he ran into the new goal post which broke and landed on top of him.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.” Jane concluded in a low voice.

“We saw the whole thing.” Daria stated in a matter of fact voice.

“It was…” Jane began.

“Not your fault.” Elizaveta quickly interjected, receiving a gentle smile from her sister. “You didn’t tell him to show off and not look where he was going and you didn’t cause that goal post to land on top of him. So don’t blame yourselves.”

 

“Brittany still upset over what happened?” Elizaveta asked her girlfriend over the phone as she laid back on her bed.

“Yeah.” Angie let out an exasperated sigh. “I can’t understand why I can’t get through to her. She thinks she’s a bad person because she doesn’t feel badly enough about him dying. I keep telling her that it wasn’t her fault and that it was an accident and that she’s not a bad person, but it’s like she’s not even listening.”

“It was just a freak accident.” Elizaveta declared, “It was no one’s fault except maybe his for not looking where he was going.”

“I know that and you know that.” Angie agreed, “But I think there’s more here with Brittany.” Taking a breath, Angie explained, “I think she still feels like it was at least partly her fault about what happened with her mother—the marriage falling apart…her moving to LA…and then being killed in that accident. I think that’s carrying over to what happened at school.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta replied thoughtfully. “But this seems to be hitting her on another level.”

“Yeah.” A note of sadness crept into Angie’s voice, “I feel…I don’t know…I just couldn’t get through to her—I’m her best friend and I couldn’t help her…and…I’m sorry, baby…I didn’t mean to lay all this on you…”

“It’s all right, szereto.” Elizaveta responded in a soft, consoling voice, “I love you. I guess the best thing I can tell you right now is to just be there for her when she’s ready to talk to you. I know it isn’t much but…”

“Thanks, baby.” Angie sighed, “I know…it’s just that…you understand…”

“Yeah, I do.” Elizaveta replied. “Just give her time to process everything.”

“See you tomorrow, baby.”

“See you then, szereto. ‘Night.”

 

Elizaveta’s dreams were anything but peaceful…

“ _Hey, Betts!”_

_“Jadzia? Aren’t you supposed to be…Ummm…you know…dead?”_

_“Yeah.” The raven-haired Trill laughed. “And the last time I saw you, you weren’t a teenage girl…”_

_“Why are you here?” Liz asked._

_“It seems like you could use a friend right now. So…how are you dealing with that man’s death?”_

_“I’m ok, Jadz. You know that…”_

_“Yeah…I know. I also remember how you took the news of my death.”_

_“Don’t remind me.” Liz lowered her head. “It wasn’t easy. I wasn’t even able to make it to your funeral…”_

_“Hey…it’s all right. You were off fighting the war. So…how are you dealing? Really?”_

_“I’m dealing with it. It wasn’t mine or Angie’s fault the man died. It was an accident. Come on, Jadz…” Liz closed her eyes and then opened them as she spoke in a soft, forlorn voice, “I’ve seen death more times than I can count and I’ve caused my fair share of it.”_

_“I know. We both have. So…” Jadzia asked, “How’s Angie coping?”_

_“Hmmm…she’s upset because she can’t get through to Brittany.” Liz then explained, “Britt and Angie are like you and me…and it’s hurting Angie because no matter how hard she tries, she can’t reach her best friend.”_

_“It might help if I knew what’s going on with your friend Brittany…”_

_“Don’t you already know?” Liz chuckled._

_“Hey…it’s your dream. I don’t know everything.” Jadzia riposted, her lips turned up in a sly grin. “So…what’s going on?”_

_“Well…to understand, you have to understand Brittany.” Liz smiled as she described the ditzy blonde cheerleader. “You see…she’s normally very upbeat, but she’s feeling bad because she thinks she doesn’t feel bad enough.”_

_“Ok…I think I see what’s going on now.” Jadzia replied, “Angie is too close to the situation and to Brittany. Your friend needs to hear that from someone more detached. Someone she respects but doesn’t really feel that close too. Know anyone who fits that description?”_

_“As a matter of fact, I do.” Elizaveta smiled._

_“Great.” Jadzia responded. “One other thing…” The Trill pointed out, “That man who got killed…he might not have been the smartest or nicest of human beings, but someone…somewhere loved him and is missing him now.”_

_“You’re right, Jadz.” Liz nodded her head solemnly, “I’ve sent out enough death notifications to know that there’s always someone grieving. Maybe there’s something we can do to help there.”_

_Smiling at her friend, Jadzia said, “I know it’s been hard on you, but don’t lose hope. You’ve got friends working to get you back and you’re doing pretty good here. Angie’s been good for you, Betts, and you’ve been good for her. When you get back home, whatever you do—don’t forget her or what you’re sharing together now.” Her lips then turned up in a sly grin, “Although…depending on what happens, she might not be as easy to forget as you might think…”_

_“Is there something I should know, Jadz?”_

_“Sorry, Betts…that’s classified. You’ll know when the time comes. Just…keep her in your heart.”_

_“I love her. I haven’t felt this way about anyone since Erika.”_

_“I know.” Jadzia smiled a sad smile. “Look, Betts…when you wake up, you’re going to forget most of this, but until then…I’d like to talk with you. It’s been too long.”_

_“I’d like that too.” Liz smiled back._

 

Elizaveta wasn’t the only one to receive a visitor in her dreams this night…

_“Hey, Ace.”_

_“Dad!” Angie’s lips turned up in a wide grin as she saw her father sitting in his favorite chair. “What are you doing here? You’re…”_

_“Dead.” Jack Harmon nodded his head, “Yeah. That hasn’t changed. But you look like you needed to talk to your old man so…here I am. What’s up, dear?”_

_“This guy…Tommy Sherman…got killed at school today.” Angie explained, “It was a stupid accident. He was showing off and a goal post fell on him.”_

_“Ouch.” Jack cringed. “You know…this would be funny except for the fact that he died.”_

_“I know.” Angie shook her head as she barely repressed a snort of laughter. “I guess a part of me is feeling guilty because I do want to laugh…but it really isn’t funny because the guy is dead now.”_

_“Well…I don’t think anyone’s holding that against you, Ace—after all, that’s why it’s called gallows humor. We laugh to hide our fear of our own death. Nothing wrong with that at all.. So…what’s the problem…really?”_

_“Brittany.” Angie sighed. “I can’t reach her. She’s blaming herself. She feels that it makes her a bad person because she doesn’t feel bad enough about him dying.”_

_Chuckling, Jack responded, “That’s Britt through and through.” His laughter fading away, Jack advised, “I think you were right when you told your girlfriend…by the way, there’s a lot more to her than you might think…we’ll talk about that in a bit…but I think you’re partly right.in that she blames herself for her mother leaving and then getting killed.”_

_“But that wasn’t her fault.”_

_“Of course it wasn’t.” Jack agreed, “There was a lot going on there. Poor Vivian just snapped under the pressure.” After pausing for a moment, he explained, “Steve was already cheating on her with Ashley-Amber…”_

_“You mean he was…”_

_“Yeah.” Jack nodded his head. “And Ashley-Amber wasn’t the first. Every time he did it, a piece got ripped out of Viv’s heart. And then as it became clearer that Brian had---and still has—some serious problems and that Steve had no intention to do anything about them but cover them up…well…the only reason Vivian stayed as long as she did was because of Brittany. Eventually…even her love for her daughter wasn’t enough though.” He shook his head sadly, “Vivian was already a lost cause by the time she left. Before the accident that took her, she was on a downhill slide that was about to lead her into some pretty dark places.”_

_“So, Dad…any ideas?”_

_“Yeah.” Jack grinned, “Listen to what Elizaveta tells you when you talk to her tomorrow.”_

_“I always listen to her, Dad. She’s my baby.”_

_“I know…I’m happy you two found each other, Ace. Like I said, she’s a very special woman…there’s more going on with her than you think.”_

_“Like what?” Angie asked._

_“She’s seen some astonishing things in her life, my dear, and done some amazing stuff.” He then sighed, “She’s also got a lot of ghosts hiding within her and has endured more than a little pain and heart break. You’ve been good for her.”_

_“It works both ways, Dad. She’s been good for me. If I hadn’t of met her…”_

_“Things would be very different.” Jack nodded his head. “Be ready…because the time will come…not now or any time soon, but it will come…where you’re going to have to make a choice and that choice is going to be a bittersweet one, my little girl.” Then, as he began to fade away, he uttered one more bit of advice, “Oh yeah…one other thing, Ace…someone out there is missing a loved one now…something to think about.”_

 

As the pair drove together to school the next morning, Elizaveta remarked, “Remember our conversation last night, szereto, about Brittany?”

“Yeah, baby.” Angie replied, “Any ideas?”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “I was thinking that someone more detached…not so close to her…than you…might have better luck reaching her. But it also has to be someone she respects.”

“Any suggestion, baby?” Angie asked.

“Why don’t we point her to Daria?” Elizaveta advised. “They’re not that close to each other and my sister can maintain her detachment…although if Daria ever finds out we sicced Britt on her…”

“She’ll kill us.” Angie laughed, her girlfriend’s words dispelling her gloom. “Thanks, honey tongue. Have I told you recently how much I love you?”

“Mmmm…I never get tired of hearing you telling me.” Elizaveta chuckled, “This weekend, after Nikki’s party, when we’re alone together, I’ll show you how much I love you too, édes ajkak.”

“I can’t wait, baby.” Angie replied in a husky voice, and then said in a more thoughtful, serious tone, “You know…even though Tommy Sherman was a jerk, someone loves him and is probably missing him now—like a parent or a brother or sister.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement. “I wonder if we can get Ms. Li to let us out of school so that we could attend his funeral…maybe as representatives of the school? Think she might go for that?”

“I think that’s a great idea, baby!” Angie exclaimed as they pulled into the school parking lot. “Of course, the old bat will see it as adding to the glory of Laaaawwwwnnnndale High….” Her laughter then faded as she finished in a somber voice as she shook her head, “It would be really sad if no one but her and maybe one or two other people attended his funeral. Wanna talk to the Dragon Lady about it after lunch?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled as she leaned over and gave her girlfriend a kiss. “Let’s go or we’re going to be late for class.

 

Ms. Li regarded the two blondes seated across from her desk with raised eyebrows. While neither one had ever been formally charged with wrongdoing, she suspected that both have had their hands in recent acts of defiance such as the bathroom camera incident of several months ago. Now they came to her with what seemed an innocuous request—but what was their real angle. “So…you want me to issue you an excused absence from your classes tomorrow so that you can attend Tommy Sherman’s funeral as school representatives. Why should I grant your request? How do I know you’re not going to take advantage of the excused absence to sneak off to the mall or do other things…”

Fighting down her first impulse to bite back at the controlling principal, Angie answered back in as polite a tone as she could manage, “Besides making for good publicity for you and the school…”

“It would be a kind gesture to someone who’s lost someone they love to believe that others cared.” Elizaveta finished.

Nodding her head as the words of both girls swayed her, Ms. Li gave her assent, “Very well…you’ll have your excused absences.” Then standing up, she signaled an end to the meeting, “Unless there’s anything else.”

“Nothing else.” Angie shook her head as she and Elizaveta also stood. “Thank you.”

 

It rained at the gravesite service—as it usually does on these occasions. Elizaveta and Angie stood together dressed conservatively and holding an umbrella over their heads as the minister spoke the words that would consign Tommy Sherman to his rest. Standing next to the casket was an elderly woman dressed in black sobbing with a young woman, also dressed in black standing next to her, holding and comforting the old woman. As the sermon concluded, two men, obviously employees of the funeral home, gently guided the old woman back into a black limousine as the younger woman approached the two teenagers.

“Thank you for coming.” She said as she wiped away her tears with a piece of tissue paper. I know my brother could often be….” She stammered for a moment, the words not coming out. Then, regaining her composure, she continued, “Tommy had problems. He failed in college because of poor grades.” A note of bitterness then crept into her voice, “He never learned anything in high school. They just kept on passing him at Lawndale as long as he won games. So…when he got to college, he couldn’t pass his courses and was dropped from the team and then expelled due to poor performance. After that, he went from job to job until he finally ended up working at Cluster Burger as a night custodian. He’d totally given up. The highest point of his life as far as he was concerned was when he was playing football. He never outgrew those days.”

Watching as her mother was seated in the car, the woman flashed a sad smile, “Thank you again for coming. It meant a lot to my mother and to me. Take care of yourselves.” She then turned and walked away. As the two girls watched in silence, she sat in the back seat next to her mother. The car door was then closed by the chauffer who then, after taking his seat behind the wheel, drove away.

“I guess we should be going now too.” Angie said as Elizaveta placed a gentle hand on her lover’s arm.

“In a moment, szereto.” She said as she plucked two wildflowers and gave one of the flowers to her girlfriend. “Come…there’s one more thing we need to do.” Approaching the grave, both girls placed the flowers on Tommy Sherman’s casket. “No one should die alone.”

“You had people who loved you, Tommy Sherman.” Angie whispered as she held Elizaveta’s hand. “Rest in peace.”

 

After hearing her step-sister’s account of the funeral service and why she and Angie steered Brittany towards her, Daria nodded her head before speaking, “I understand why you did what you did and you went above and beyond the call by going to his funeral. So…no retribution for making me have to endure Brittany’s crying.”

“I hear you’ve been acting as the unofficial grief counselor for the school during all this.” Elizaveta remarked in a gentle tone. “I have a feeling no one’s asked you yet, so I’m asking you now—how are you dealing with it?”

Sighing, Daria remarked, “Where to begin…”

“Wherever you want.” Elizaveta replied, “I’m not going anywhere right now. And before you say anything, you’re not a misery chick.”

 

“How are you doing, sweetie?” Jessica Harmon asked as her daughter entered the house after dropping Elizaveta off.

“I’ll be ok, Mom.” Angie’s lips turned up in a warm smile. “I saw Dad in a dream last night.” She said, her smile vanishing, “He told me that one day I’m going to have to make a choice and that it’ll be a bittersweet one. That’s the second time someone in a dream has told me that. What’s this choice I’m going to have to make?”

“Darling…” Jessica smiled as she hugged her daughter, “We’re always making choices in our lives and some choices are tougher than others. All I can tell you is…when it comes time for you to make that choice…whatever it is…to follow your heart. It hasn’t led you astray yet.”

“I know.” Angie smiled back as she glanced down at the bracelet on her arm, “It led me to Elizaveta.”


	19. Artistic License

“You sure no one’s home?” Angie asked as Elizaveta led her by the hand into the Morgendorffer house.

“Yes, szereto.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Daria’s over at Jane’s and Quinn’s at a Fashion Club meeting. Anya and Apa are both working late. We should have a couple of hours all to ourselves.”

Angie leered as she undid the top button of Elizaveta’s blouse, “Why are we wasting time, baby? Upstairs…our clothes off…us in bed…Now.”

“Thanks for the ride, Sandi!” Quinn exclaimed as Sandi drove up to the curb in front of the Morgendorffer house.

“Anytime, Quinn.” Sandi, currently in a good mood, replied with a ghost of a smile on her face.

“That idea of yours to color coordinate our wardrobes for the spring carnival was a terrific one.” Quinn remarked with genuine sincerity.

“You think so?” A somewhat surprised Sandi asked, maintaining her poker face.

“Of course it was, Sandi.” Quinn answered back with a slightly confused look on her face. “Why wouldn’t I think so?”

“No reason.” Sandi responded, her smile returning, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Quinn smiled back, “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

As her friend drove away, Quinn noticed that Angie’s car was still parked at the curb. “Must be studying with Elizaveta.” She concluded as she made her way into the house. “I’ll just poke my head in her door and say hi. Elizaveta’s been pretty nice to me recently. She helped me pull a C in my math quiz—I should at least say thanks.”

As she made her way up the stairs, Quinn thought she heard a muffled sigh and giggles. Finding that the closed door was unlocked, she quietly opened the door and then she saw them. On the bed. Naked. In that position. Doing that thing to each other. Her eyes widening as her face reddened, Quinn quickly closed the door, and, without making a sound, stumbled down the stairs almost in a haze until the front door opened to reveal her sister and Jane.

Seeing her sister red-faced and apparently in a state of shock, Daria raised her eyebrows, “Quinn?”

“Elizaveta…” Quinn stammered as she made her way to the sofa while both Daria and Jane observed, “…Angie…they were in bed…Elizaveta was on top of Angie and they were doing that thing…when…you know…” The embarrassed red-head shook her head.

“Actually, we don’t.” Daria grinned, prolonging her sister’s agony. “What is it called?”

“I don’t know!” Quinn exclaimed. “All I know was that they were…”

“And today’s number…” Jane chortled, almost collapsing to the floor as her laughter grew ever more hysterical, “Is 69.”

“Do they know that you saw them?” Daria asked as she could no longer contain the laughter growing within her.

“No.” Quinn replied, shaking her head. “I don’t think so…”

“Well…” Daria chuckled, “We better make some noise to let them know we’re here.” Her and Jane then walked upstairs and made a production of opening and closing her door, making sure to make as much noise as possible.

“That was incredible, baby.” Angie whispered as she nuzzled up to her girlfriend. “You really do have a gift with that tongue of yours.”

“You’re a very cunning linguist yourself, szereto.” Elizaveta replied, giving the blonde lying in bed next to her a tender kiss. 

“Har…Har…” Angie playfully laughed as both girls heard the noise of stamping feet coming up the stairs and then Daria’s door opening and shutting.

“Oops!” Elizaveta exclaimed with a giggle, “They’re back. We better get dressed and get downstairs.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed as the couple got of the bed and quickly dressed themselves. 

Elizaveta’s lips turned up in an impish grin as she crinkled her nose, “It might not be a bad idea for us to wash up before going downstairs, szereto.”

“Yeah.” Angie grinned, “We kinda smell like…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed, “C’mon. Let’s get to the bathroom.”

As the pair exited the bathroom and walked down the stairs, they noticed Quinn sitting on the couch, apparently reading. “Hey, Quinn…” Elizaveta called out, “Is Daria at home?”

“Ummm…yeah.” Quinn stammered as she hid her red face with the book, “She’s up in her room with Jane.”

“Ok…thanks.” Elizaveta responded and then turned to her girlfriend, “Walk you to your car, szereto?”

“Sure, baby.” Angie replied as the pair walked out of the house hand-in-hand.

Quinn heaved a sigh of relief as the two blondes exited the house. Putting down her book, the young red-head began to make her way up the stairs, “If they ever found out I caught them going down on each other…” Then her eyes opened wide in panic. “Daria! Oh my God! Her and Jane are going to tell Elizaveta and then she and Angie are going to kill me!” Rushing to her sister’s room, Quinn banged on the door, hoping Daria would answer before Elizaveta got back in the house.

“That’ll be Quinn.” Daria smirked as she heard the banging on the door.

“So…what are you going to do?” Jane asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“I’m going to milk this for all it’s worth.” Daria responded as she made her way to the door and opened it. “Come in, Quinn.” She said with a predatory gleam in her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Ummm….” Quinn stammered, “You’re not going to tell Elizaveta about…”

“About you barging in on hers and Angie’s private time?” Daria smirked.

“Ok.” Quinn gritted her teeth as she saw the direction the conversation was headed, “How much?”

“Half your allowance and doing my chores for six months.”

“A quarter of my allowance and I’ll do your chores for one month.”

“A third of your allowance and chores for three months—final offer.” Daria declared.

“All right.” Quinn grimaced, “Deal.”

“I’ll expect payment next time Mom and Dad hand over the loot and you begin doing my chores tonight.”

“Agreed.” Quinn again nodded her head, “And not a word to Elizaveta from you or Jane.”

“Hey…you didn’t make any deals with me!” Jane protested.

“All right.” Quinn sighed, “What do you want?”

“Another third of your allowance and a favor to be named later.”

“Agreed.” Quinn reluctantly conceded, “But the favor has to be a reasonable one.”

“Done.” Jane agreed as they heard Elizaveta coming up the stairs. “Just in time.”

Moments later, they heard a knocking on the door. “Come in.” Daria called out with a malicious grin on her face.

“You promised.” Quinn whispered as the door opened to reveal Elizaveta looking especially relaxed and in a good mood.

“Hey, I thought that was you guys. Angie just left.” Elizaveta announced, “We were…studying…together.”

“That’s right!” Jane smirked, “There’s that biology test in Ms. Barch’s class this Friday.”

“Yeah.” Daria nodded her head, “We’re finishing up sexual reproduction.” Daria then turned to her sister as her lips turned up in a teasing grin, “You haven’t gotten to sex yet in your class—have you?”

“Uhhh…no.” Quinn answered back as she fidgeted nervously. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”

“It’s not that hard.” Elizaveta interjected, “If you run into any problems let me know and I can give you a hand.” She then inquired, “How did you do on that math quiz you had today?”

“Ummm…I got a C.” Quinn remarked, her spirits raised a little, “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Quinn.” Elizaveta smiled back as she turned to leave. “Well…I’ve got to get back to studying. See you all at dinner.”

“Whew.” Quinn sighed in relief as she waited until she heard Elizaveta’s door closed. Turning to Daria, she gritted her teeth. “I’ll take out the trash tonight and you two will have your money when Dad hands out our allowances after dinner. Just keep to your end of the deal.”

“Long as you keep to your end.” Daria retorted, her lips turned up in an evil grin, “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Once her sister had closed the door behind her and she was sure that no one was listening in, Daria chuckled, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Too bad you couldn’t get anything on Elizaveta.” Jane smirked, then we could have cleaned up.

“Mom knows about Elizaveta and Angie.” Daria shook her head as Jane’s eyes opened in surprise. 

“Helen knows?” Jane exclaimed in disbelief. “And she hasn’t busted a blood vessel yet?”

“Yeah.” Daria responded, shaking her head, “For some reason, her and Elizaveta get along.”

“So....Elizaveta’s the favorite now.” Jane grimaced.

“No.” Daria shook her head. “Elizaveta doesn’t get cut any slack—I gotta say that for Mom, she’s fair. It’s just that they seem to be more…” The auburn-haired teen shrugged her shoulders, “…I don’t know…they just get along well with each other for some reason. I kinda wish…”

“Yeah.” Jane nodded her head, “I guess I understand. So…Helen knows about the two of them…”

“Yeah.” Daria nodded her head, “As long as they’re discreet about it—Mom won’t say anything. But…if we can catch them being obnoxious about it…”

“Payday.” Jane grinned.

“Payday.” Daria grinned back, nodding her head.

 

Coming down the stairs, Daria noticed that Elizaveta was already in the kitchen along with her mother and father and a still uncomfortable Quinn. She then heard her mother consoling her sobbing father.

“It’s ok, Jake. We’ll get through this together.”

“Anya’s right, Apa.” Elizaveta consoled, “It’s just a little setback. You’ll bounce back—you always do.”

“Yeah, Daddy.” Quinn added, “We’re here for you no matter what.” Then she remembered that her show was coming on, “I’m going to miss _Coming Attractions_ —gotta go—bye!”

“What happened?” Daria asked as she sat down at the table.

“Your father had a minor setback at work today.” Helen sighed, “He lost a client.”

“I got a great idea!” Jake exclaimed in a mocking voice, “Cigars for pets! What do you think?” Shaking his head, the Morgendorffer patriarch moaned, “Why did I believe him when he said he wanted me to be honest?”

The rest of dinner went on with Jake sobbing as Elizaveta and Helen attempted to soothe him as Daria managed to get in a mix of calming words and sarcastic jabs until everyone had finally finished their dinner and it was time for evening chores. As Elizaveta was putting the dishes away, she noticed Quinn tying the garbage bag and lifting it from the hamper. “What are you doing Quinn?” The lovely blonde inquired, “I thought it was Daria’s turn this week to take out the garbage?”

“Ummm….” Quinn stammered, “I…. uhhh…owe Daria a favor, so I’m doing her chores this week.”

“Oh…ok.” Elizaveta responded as she put the last of the dishes away. “You sure you got that? It looks pretty heavy.”

“Yeah.” Quinn’s lips turned up in a slight smile, “I got it. Thanks anyway.” She then picked up the garbage bag. “I better hurry or I’m going to miss the rest of my show.”

 

“Quinn?” Ms. Bennett called out as she held out a piece of chalk in her hand, “Can you solve the equation on the board?” 

Gritting her teeth as she saw the predatory gleam in Sandi’s eyes, the young redhead reluctantly made her way to the front of the class and took the chalk. As she carried out the different steps in the algebra equation, she remembered what Elizaveta taught her _Please Make Difficult Addition Solution_. She thought to herself as she worked through the problem until finally solving for x. Then, seeing the solution, her face reddened as she heard snickering coming from Brad Phillips and Matthew, as well as a few other sophomore boys and one or two of the girls.

Skyler then whispered to his friend, “Bet Quinn’s lesbo sister and her queer girlfriend know what the answer is.”

“That’s right, Quinn.” Ms. Bennett praised as she took the chalk, x equals 69.” As Quinn took her seat to even more snickers, the teacher, totally clueless as to what the snickering was about, called out, “Brad? You can do the next problem. Solve for y.”

Ms. Defoe normally enjoyed watching her students flex their creative muscles—even Brittany. While by no means the most accomplished artist, the blonde cheerleader made up for her lack of ability by an abundance of enthusiasm. She was a horrible artist, but she loved drawing and painting so much. Shaking her head as she saw the brown splotches on the blonde cheerleader’s canvas, Claire inquired in a gentle voice, “What happened, Brittany? Did you spill your paint?”

“Ummm…no.” The airheaded cheerleader responded as she played with a lock of her golden hair.

“Well…get a new canvas and try again, dear.” The art teacher suggested with a sigh as she made her way to her next student, one of her favorites, Jane. Smiling as she glanced at the dark-haired artist’s work, Claire praised, “Very striking, Jane.”

“Thank you, Ms. Defoe.” Jane responded as Mr. O’Neill and Ms. Li entered the classroom. Clearing her throat, the principle made her announcement.

“Class! Lawndale High is participating in a statewide art contest.”

“That’s why we’re announcing it in art class.” Mr. O’Neill interjected as Claire barely managed to suppress a groan.

The principal and English teacher then explained to the class that the contest was called “Student Life at the Dawn of the New Millennium” and that it would be about what it’s like being a high school student in the modern world. Ms. Li then concluded with a veiled threat by stating that while participation was voluntary, she couldn’t see how any student could pass up the opportunity to take part in the project since it would bring honor to Lawndale High. As the teacher and principal left the classroom, Ms. Defoe took a deep breath and exhaled. Then, glancing at her favorite sophomore artist, her lips turned up in a slight grin just as the bell rang.

Ms. Defoe shook her head in sadness as Jane walked out of her classroom, then, seeing the two blondes at the door coming in, her lips turned up in a smile, “Elizaveta…Angie…what are you doing here?”

“We thought we’d come by to see you before going to lunch.” Angie smiled, “And we wanted to talk to you about the end of the year recital.”

“Sure.” The art teacher smiled as she gestured at a pair of empty chairs, “Come in.” She then took out from her handbag a small sandwich and grabbed a juice drink from a tiny refrigerator in the back of the classroom. “Why don’t you join me? Here…I’ve got a couple of extra drinks.”

“Thanks, Ms. Defoe.” Elizaveta and Angie smiled as they took out their lunches—sandwiches with an apple in Elizaveta’s case and a pear in Angie’s. 

“I think we’re just about ready to take the show live.” Ms. Defoe said as she took a bite from her salad. “What do you think?”

“I think we’re just about set.” Elizaveta commented. “We’ve got the steps down and the band is syncing well with us.”

“And Jane’s done a terrific job with the scenery and backdrops.” Angie noted.

“She has.” Claire nodded her head, “I just wish…” She then dropped her head and shook it sadly.

“Ms. Defoe?” Elizaveta gently inquired, then in a softer voice asked, “Claire? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jane.” Ms. Defoe exhaled, “She’s such a creative person…but getting her to express it sometimes…it’s like…” Shaking her head, she explained, “Last period Mr. O’Neil and Ms. Li came in to announce a poster contest—Student Life in the New Millennium. I think this will be a great opportunity for more people to see her work—and Jeannette’s too.”

“I’m sure Jeannette will be able to come up with something.” Angie declared encouragingly.

“I know she will.” Claire smiled, “And I know it’ll be very good.” She then sighed.

“But you really want people to see Jane’s work.” Elizaveta finished.

“Yes.” Claire nodded her head, “Jane is very gifted. She didn’t want to do it at first.” She then let out a mild chuckle, “Said that she believed in a community of creativity and that artists shouldn’t have to compete with each other. She was just saying that to spare my feelings…” Claire again let out an ironic chuckle. “The reason she’s probably telling herself is that is that that by doing it, she’s giving in to the system—that she’s selling out.”

“And the real reason?” Angie prompted.

“The real reason is that most likely she feels that no one will like it.” Ms. Defoe shook her head. “I know that when people see what’s she’s capable of, they’re going to love it—and her.”

“Remind me…” Angie grinned, “And I’ll show you the drawings she did of me and Elizaveta in our flapper costumes.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled, “They look really good.”

“I’d love to see them.” Claire smiled. “So…you two going to Alessandro’s this weekend?”

“Charlie Parker night?” Angie grinned, “You know we’re going to be there.”

 

“So I told Jimmy…” Quinn said, recalling the events of her last date with the rest of the Fashion Club, “…no kissing on the lips until the third date.”

“So…” Stacy asked, “How many dates did you go out with him?”

“Two.” Quinn replied with a grin, “You know I never date a guy more than twice.”

“You’re so clever, Quinn…” Stacy fawned with fake sincerity while crying inside as she remembered how she had dumped Eddie earlier in the year.

“Cleeevvvverrr…” Tiffany drawled, maintaining her slow image in front of Quinn and Sandi.

Unable to resist taking a shot at her frenemy, Sandi inquired with a fake grin, “Did Jimmy ask you out for a third date?”

Before a red-faced Quinn could answer, Kevin’s voice could be heard throughout the hallways as he, along with the three J’s and a few other football players, sang, “69 bottles of beer on the wall…69 bottles of beer!” On hearing that number, Quinn’s face reddened even more.

“What’s wrong, Quinn?” A suddenly concerned Stacy asked, “Is everything ok?”

“Yeah…” Quinn replied in a subdued voice, “Everything’s fine. Let’s go—we’re going to be late for art.”

Glancing at the clock, Claire grinned as she began to clear her desk, “Well…lunchtime’s about over. Thanks for coming over, girls.” She said as Elizaveta and Angie helped her clean up. “My next class should be coming in now and you don’t want to be late to class.”

“We’ll see you later, Ms. Defoe.” Angie and Elizaveta smiled back as Quinn and the rest of the Fashion Club entered the classroom.

“Good afternoon, class.” Claire announced as the freshmen took their places in front of their easels. “The school is participating in a contest, Student Life in the New Millennium. No matter what you might hear from other teachers or administrators, participation is voluntary and you will not penalized for not submitting a work. However, I do encourage you to consider submitting something as I think all of you have something to contribute. So…if there are no questions, then you may begin on your projects.”

“I am not going to make them do something they don’t want to do.” Claire declared to herself in a soft voice, “But I am going to do everything I can to encourage them to feel free to express themselves.”

 

Watching as the last student filed out of her class at the sound of the bell ending the school day, Claire sighed with relief as she gathered her notes and materials. Then spotting Mr. O’Neill walking down the hallway, she called out, “Mr. O’Neill, could you come here for a moment?”

Hearing his name called, Mr. O’Neill entered the art teacher’s classroom with a big smile on his face, “Claire? What can I do for you?”

Pointing her finger at the English teacher, Ms. Defoe spat out, “What the hell were you and Ms. Li doing coming into my classroom and forcing my students to participate in that art show?”

“Threatening?” A shocked Timothy O’Neill exclaimed, “We weren’t forcing your students to participate. I’d never do that.”

Taking a deep breath, Claire explained, “Ms. Li’s wording was an indirect threat and you know it, Timothy. She didn’t say it in so many words, but the implication was there that those who did not participate would suffer consequences.”

“I’m sure that’s not what she meant.” Timothy replied in a mollifying voice, “Besides, you have some very good artists. I’d think you’d want their work to be more visible.”

“I do.” Claire replied, calming down. “Jane Lane especially is a wonderful artist and yes, I did make it a point to personally ask her to submit something because I want to see her work exposed so that more people can see it. But I want her—and the other students participating—to do this because they want to do it—not because they have to.”

“It is voluntary, Claire.” Mr. O’Neill placated, “I swear.”

“Good.” Ms. Defoe, for now satisfied, replied with a nod of her head. Then, she cautioned, “Just don’t be shocked if some of these submissions surprise you.”

“What do you mean, Claire?” A suddenly worried Mr. O’Neill inquired.

“You’ll see.” Ms. Defoe responded as a ghost of a smile crossed her features.

 

“Why did she have to be so nice?” Jane exclaimed in an exasperated voice as she and Daria walked home from school. “Now I’m stuck doing a stupid poster for this stupid contest. What does it mean to be a student in the New Millennium? It sucks!” Then, an evil grin crossed her face, “You know…no one said the message had to be a positive one.”

“True.” Daria nodded her head as the faintest glimmer of a smile appeared on her face.

“I’m going to tell everyone the truth about what it’s like being a student in the new millennium.”

“Good.” Daria’s smile grew wider.

“And you’re going to help me.”

“What!?” The smile suddenly vanished from Daria’s face. “No!”

Entering the Lane house and turning the television on to Sick, Sad, World, Jane pleaded her case, “You have to help, Daria. You’re the most negative person I know.”

“Thanks, Jane.” Daria grumbled.

“This will give you the chance you’ve always wanted. To tell the world what you really think about Lawndale High.”

“Yeah.” Daria replied with a grimace, “No.”

“Please, Daria!” Jane begged,. “I can’t do this without you!”

“All right!” Daria sighed, “I’ll do it and I’ll stand by it. Provided I have total anonymity.”

“You’re a regular Joan of Arc, Daria.” Jane remarked sarcastically.

“Yeah.’ Daria frowned, “And I think I just ordered a stake.”

 

As Quinn rode back home with Sandi and the rest of the Fashion Club, the radio announcer came on the air, “And now coming in at number 69 in our rockin’ marathon, _I Kissed a Girl_.” On hearing that, a mortified Quinn lowered her head, covering her face with her hands.

“Is everything ok, Quinn?” Stacy asked. “You’ve been like that all day today. Is something wrong?”

“No.” Quinn shook her head, “Everything’s fine.” Then, seeing her house, the young redhead gritted her teeth as Sandi pulled over at the curb. “Thanks, Sandi. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Waiting until Sandi had pulled out, Quinn breathed a sigh of relief at not seeing Angie’s car. Entering her home, she poured a glass of water and sat down on the couch to watch a little television before everyone came home. As she watched _This Year’s Model_ , she barely heard the door open as her father entered the house.

“Heya, Quinn!” Jake called out fondly as he recognized his youngest daughter sitting down on the sofa. “Can you do me a favor and change it to the Business Channel? I need to check on some marketing trends.”

“Dad!” Quinn protested, “I was watching this. They’re about to announce this week’s winner.”

“Oh!” Jake exclaimed apologetically, “I didn’t know. Can you change it after they announce the winner?”

“Yeah, Dad.” Quinn sighed as she saw that the winner was not who she was pulling for, “What’s the channel number?”

“69.” Jake responded and then his eyes widened as his daughter suddenly bolted off the couch and ran upstairs to her room. “What?” The confused father exclaimed as he scratched his head. Shrugging his shoulders, he went to the bar and fixed a martini pitcher and poured himself a drink. “Ah.” He sighed as the next news report brought a smile to his face.

_“When asked to comment why his multi-million dollar ‘Cigars as pets’ campaign failed, Mr. Clyde Dumbarton responded, ‘It’s not my fault that people cannot see the beauty of the concept. Cigars are the ideal pet. They don’t make noise, they’re easy to take care of, and they don’t claw up the furniture—and you can smoke ‘em. Can’t smoke a cat—at least not without getting in trouble for animal cruelty!’_

The news anchor then appeared on the screen, _“Unfortunately for Mr. Dumbarton, the consumers did not share his vision. Pet Cigars Inc. has announced that it has filed for Chapter Seven bankruptcy. And now for the stock returns…”_

“Ha!” Jake gloated as he downed his martini, “Cigars as pets! Bet he wished he’d listened to me now!”

 

“I’m glad to see everyone’s participating in the contest.” Ms. Defoe said, praising her class, as she took note of each student’s poster. Coming to Charles’s poster—a self portrait of himself sitting on the hood of a Pontiac GTO wearing a leather jacket and holding a martini glass with a gorgeous blonde on either side of him—Ms. Defoe, on hearing her student’s name for the poster, _Ride Chucky Ride_ , asked, “I’m curious, Charles, what does this say about student life at the turn of the century?”

“It’s really more of a mission statement.” Upchuck responded with a low growl in his voice.

“Mission Impossible.” Daria remarked caustically in a low voice.

Shaking her head, Claire then approached Brittany’s poster. Seeing the stick figure representations of liquor and pill bottles, Ms. Defoe asked, “What’s your poster about, Brittany?”

“I call it Don’t Drink and Don’t do Drugs!” Brittany replied with a big smile, and my message is, don’t drink and don’t do drugs!”

Sighing, Ms. Defoe gently pointed out, “But I don’t see anything in your poster that says not to do that.”

“Oh!” Brittany responded as a light bulb seemed to appear over her head. Taking a tube of lipstick out from her purse, she drew the international ‘No’ sign in red lipstick. “Now it does!” The cheerleader grinned.

Sighing and shaking her head, Ms. Defoe replied in a kindly voice, “We’ll talk about it after class, Brittany.”

Her smile returning as she made her way to Jane’s easel, Ms. Defoe gave her favorite student artist’s work a careful appraisal. It depicted a lovely, waif like blonde teenage girl sitting in front of a mirror in her room and gazing happily at her face in the mirror. She then read the caption on the card attached to the bottom. “She knows she’s a winner, she couldn’t be thinner, now she goes in the bathroom and vomits up dinner.” Knowing full well the message that the poster was intended to convey and secretly thinking that it was very well delivered, Claire decided to test out a hunch. Putting on a mask of disapproval, she remarked critically, “Oh, Jane, I don’t think that’s funny.”

“You don’t?” Jane responded somewhat defensively.

“Do you think it’s funny to make fun of someone with an eating disorder?” Ms. Defoe asked in a disappointed voice, continuing the charade.

“No!” Jane stammered, “But…

Claire maintained her mask of disapproval as she saw Daria whispering to her friend.

“It’s not meant to be funny.”

_I was right_. Claire thought to herself as she repressed the urge to grin. _Ok…let’s see how far this goes_. “All right, then. Do you think you have the right to judge someone with a low self-image because you don’t have that problem?”

“No!” Jane protested, shaking her head violently as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. “That’s not what I’m saying at all!”

“OK, then…” Ms. Defoe persisted, “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that people shouldn’t…” Jane stammered until Daria finally intervened.

“She’s saying that all the emphasis on appearance today can be dangerous. The girl you see is very pretty, so the first thing you think is, ‘She must really be happy!’ But maybe there’s more going on that you don’t know about. Maybe that prettiness came at a price.”

“I see…” Claire responded, appearing to give Daria’s words a great deal of thought, “That’s what you’re trying to say, Jane?”

“Yeah.” Jane nodded her head, “Pretty much so.”

“And you felt that the message had to be delivered using such harsh and graphic language?”

Ms. Defoe then turned her gaze on Daria, smirking inwardly as she noticed that Jane had done the same thing.

“The choice of words was deliberate.” Daria explained, “To contrast with the beauty of the image and shock the viewer into paying attention.”

Nodding her head, Claire’s lips turned up in a smile of approval, “I like it and I like the message. Would you let me enter it into the state-wide competition?”

“Yeah.” Jane nodded her head, “Sure.”

“And is it okay with your collaborator?”

“Jane.” Daria declared, “Next time, I give you a prepared statement.”

After her class had left the room, Claire once again glanced at Jane and Daria’s poster, her lips turning up in an evil grin. “I warned you to be ready for a surprise, Timothy.”

While Daria and Jane were defending their work in art class, Quinn was suffering, along with her friends, in Mr. DeMartino’s World History Class. “Today we’re going to talk about Caesar and Cleopatra. Can anyone tell me what year CLEOPATRA was born? Quinn!” Mr. DeMartino called out, his left eye bulging, “When was CLEOPATRA born?”

“Ummmm…” Quinn stammered as Sandi barely repressed a grin at the redhead’s discomfiture.

“WHENEVER you’re READY Ms. Morgendorffer.” The history teacher growled.

“Uhhhh…”

“CHECK the TIMELINE in your textbook for a HINT.” Mr. DeMartino ordered, his frustration growing.

Looking down at her textbook, Quinn gritted her teeth as she found the answer. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, her face reddened as she answered, “69 BCE”

“CORRECT, Ms. Morgendorffer.” The history teacher replied, “CLEOPATRA was BORN in 69 BCE.”

“Someone just shoot me now.” Quinn whispered in a low voice as she covered her face with her hands.

 

“Angie? Elizaveta?” 

Hearing their names called out as they left the school, the two blondes turned about to see Stacy running towards them. Waiting until the pigheaded brunette had caught up with them, Elizaveta asked, “What’s wrong, Stacy?”

“I was hoping maybe you could answer that question.” Stacy replied as she joined the two cheerleaders walking towards the parking lot. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed it or not, but Quinn’s been acting kind of weird all week.”

“Weirder than usual?” Angie quipped, then seeing the look of concern on the other two girls, quickly apologized, “Sorry…foot in mouth. I haven’t noticed anything odd…” Angie stated, “But then I haven’t been paying attention either. What about you, baby?” The platinum-blonde asked, turning to her girlfriend, “You notice anything weird going on with your sister?”

“Hmmm…” Elizaveta pondered the events of the past week. “She has been doing Daria’s chores recently, and she actually had to borrow money from me yesterday when we got our allowances just a few days ago. She goes through money fast, but I don’t think she goes through it that fast unless there’s a flash sale at Cashman’s or something.”

“Well, Stacy?” Angie inquired.

“No.” Stacy shook her head, “No flash sales or anything like that, and we haven’t really done anything this week other than the usual cheeseless pizza and Fashion Club stuff.”

“You think Daria might have gotten something on her and is blackmailing her?” Angie asked her girlfriend.

“That’s possible.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “That would explain her money shortage and her doing Daria’s chores.” She then turned to Stacy, “Without breaking confidences, can you tell me if Quinn might have done something that would cause Daria to blackmail her? Like maybe coming home late from a Fashion Club meeting or maybe going to a party without telling anya and apa?”

“I don’t think so.” Stacy replied. “Our Fashion Club meetings usually end pretty early because my parents and Tiffany’s have a curfew, and I can’t think of any parties.”

As they approached Angie’s car, Elizaveta said, “Well, I can talk to Quinn and see if she’ll tell me, but…” She shook her head, “I doubt very seriously if she’ll talk to me if she hasn’t talked to you about it. You’re a lot closer to her than I am.”

“If you could maybe find out something, I’d appreciate it.” Stacy answered back with a smile.

“Wanna ride back to your house?” Angie offered as she opened her car door.

“Sure.” Stacy smiled back, “It’ll give us more time to talk.” As she got in the back, she announced, “I’ve just finished a new quilt. Maybe I can show it to you two sometime.”

“We’d like that, Stacy.” Elizaveta responded as Angie nodded her head in agreement.

“We’ll make some time this weekend.” Angie proposed, “For the three of us and Tiffany to hang out together. Give you girls a chance to chill out a little away from Sandi and Quinn.”

“Great!” Stacy grinned, “I’m sure Tiffany’ll be up for it. I’ll ask her about it tonight.”

 

“Everything ok, Quinn?” Elizaveta asked as she put up the dishes while her younger sister picked up the garbage.

“Yeah.” Quinn nodded her head as she shifted her feet slightly, “Why do you ask?”

“You seem a little uncomfortable for some reason.” Elizaveta observed, “And…this is the fourth day in a row that you’re doing Daria’s chores. Is something going on?”

“No.” Quinn shook her head, “Nothing’s gong on. It’s like I said earlier this week, I’m just paying Daria back for doing some chores for me. I gotta go and dump this garbage before it gets too dark.”

Watching as her sister left, Elizaveta barely heard Helen’s voice. “You’ve spotted the same thing, I see.”

“Yeah, Anya.” Elizaveta replied with a sigh. “Something’s going on with Quinn and I think Daria knows what it is and is blackmailing Quinn into doing her chores to keep silent about it.”

“Do you know what it might be?” Helen asked.

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head and then told her step-mother about the conversation she and Angie had with Stacy earlier. “Have you tried talking to Quinn?” The young blonde asked as she washed and dried her hands at the sink.

“Yes.” Helen nodded her head dejectedly, “And I got the same response you did—except even more curt and abrasive.” She closed her eyes momentarily to keep from showing the tears that were forming, “I’d considered confronting Daria about it, but decided against it because I know it won’t get anywhere.”

Nodding her head, Elizaveta agreed with her step-mother, “You’re right, Anya. She’d just stonewall you. I’ll keep trying to see if I can find out anything and if I do, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks, dearie.” Helen smiled, “So…how are things going with you? I know I’ve been really busy at the office this week and we haven’t had a chance to talk, but if you want, I’d like to catch up.”

“Well…other than Quinn, it’s kind of boring, but here’s the latest…”

 

“Hmmm…Mrs. Lane must not be home.” Mr. O’Neill said to himself as he hung up the phone in the teacher’s lounge. “Maybe I can get Mrs. Morgendorffer at work…she shouldn’t be too mad at being interrupted….”

“Why the hell can’t anything go right around here?!” Helen cursed as she angrily flung a stack of papers on her desk. “Damned depositions due in an hour and I only find out now!”

“Mrs. Morgendorffer?” Marianne hesitantly called out, “It’s the school…it’s about your daughters…”

Sighing, Helen replied, “Tell them I’ll tell Quinn to get the assignment in on Monday—whatever the assignment is. And if you could start making notes on it…”

“It’s not about Quinn....” Marianne interjected.

Sighing, Helen responded, the faintest glimmers of a smile coming to her face, “Tell them I’ll tell Elizaveta to quit stuffing jerks in the trash can or lockers and try to find out who she stuffed in the locker and why she did it.”

“It’s about your other daughter.” 

Closing her eyes and then opening them, Helen let out a sigh, “Tell them I’ll talk to Daria about her attitude and try to find out who she insulted and what she said.”

“He says she has a rare opportunity and she might be squandering it…”

“Just give me the damned phone.” Helen snapped as she grabbed the phone. “Yes…who the hell is this and why are you calling me now?”

“Eep.” Mr. O’Neill squeaked, his hand shaking as he held the phone, “Mrs. Morgendorffer? This is Mr. O’Neill…Daria’s English teacher.”

“This isn’t about that stupid essay, is it?” Helen growled, “Because that was obviously satire.”

“No…No…” Mr. O’Neill stammered, “Your daughter wrote a rather…ugly…poem to go with a really nice picture and I was wondering if you could…”

“Would you hurry this up?” Helen snapped, “I’ve got a couple of conference calls to make and a deposition that’s not going to be filed by itself. If you need to talk more about it, talk to my husband.”

 

“Come and get it!” Jake, wearing his chef’s hat and an apron that said, ‘Kiss me, I’m the cook’, and holding a bowl full of pasta in one hand and a ladle in the other, called out, “Penne a la’ pesto. Best to eat it when it’s fresh…” He advised as he ladled the contents of the bowl on to plates, “Refrigerate it and it tastes kinda funky—it oxidizes.”  
Heaving a sigh, a frustrated Helen growled, “Put down the damned macaroni, Jake and ask your daughter why she has to be so cynical all the time.”

“It’s penne pasta, Helen!” Jake, seemingly oblivious to his wife’s last words, protested, “Not macaroni.”

Taking a deep breath, Helen spoke to her sarcastic daughter. “I heard you and Jane came up with a very pretty picture for some art contest with a…dark…message. Did your message have to be so negative, dear? Couldn’t you have gotten your point across in a more positive manner?”

“It’s not a negative message.” Daria protested, “It’s supportive of students who don’t want to be judged on the basis of their looks.”

“That’s silly, Daria!” Quinn giggled, “Of course everyone wants to look good—right Elizaveta?”

Not really wanting to get dragged into this, but seeing no way out, Elizaveta tried to stake out a middle ground, “I understand what Daria’s trying to say and if that’s the message she and Jane want to deliver, then that’s their right. But…the simple truth of the matter is first impressions do matter and appearance does figure into that.”

“Elizaveta makes a good point, Daria.” Helen declared, “Who do you think is going to be most likely to get hired? The person coming to the interview with torn jeans, a stained t-shirt, and nose and ear piercings or the person coming in with a professional suit and sensible makeup?”

“This isn’t about a job interview!” Daria protested, “It’s about how students see themselves! I shouldn’t have to be judged by how I look, but rather by who I am and I shouldn’t’ have to compromise myself to meet someone else’s arbitrary standards.”

“You see Helen…” Jake interjected, still making the case for penne a la’ pesto, “If this were macaroni and cheese, it would be very bad, but it’s very good pesto.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Jake?” Helen practically screamed in frustration. “Are you even listening?”

“Of course I am.” Jake, dropping his pretense of cluelessness, declared, “If this poster is intended to be propaganda, then it’s doing a poor job of it. But, if it’s how Daria sees student life, then it’s very good.”

“Thanks, Dad.” A genuinely surprised Daria responded.

“Ohhhh!” A frustrated and angry Helen exclaimed as she bolted from her seat and, taking the pasta bowl in her hands, dumped the contents on her husband’s head and then dashed from the kitchen.

“Take care of apa.” Elizaveta commanded her sisters, “And I’ll check on Anya.”

Entering the living room, Elizaveta saw Helen sitting on the couch, her head lowered and her face covered by her palms, sobbing quietly. Approaching her step-mother, Elizaveta sat on the couch next to her and placed her arm around the older woman’s shoulders, “Are you going to be ok, Anya?”

“I did it again, didn’t I?” Helen sniffled. “I made a mess of it.”

“What? Dumping the pasta over apa’s head or the argument with Daria?” Elizaveta asked as she gave Helen a supportive hug.

“Both.” Helen’s lips turned up in a slight grin as she wiped her tears away. “I was so frustrated and angry that I missed that Daria slipped into first person when she talked about being judged based on appearance. She was talking about herself and I let myself get so wound up…”

“It’s not too late to go back and talk to her.” Elizaveta suggested.

“You sure it’ll do any good?” Helen asked as she began to compose herself.

“It couldn’t hurt.” Elizaveta responded with a smile, “Come on. Daria and Quinn should have apa cleaned up by now.”

Returning to the kitchen with Elizaveta, Helen apologized in a low voice, “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t’ have lost it like that. I guess it must be PMS.” She mumbled and then spoke to her auburn-haired daughter, “Promise me you’ll at least hear out your English teacher’s case and then whatever you and Jane decide to do, I’ll support it.”

 

“You’ve what?!” Claire Defoe exploded in the teacher’s lounge, causing the hapless English teacher who broke the news to her to quail in fear, much to the amusement of Mr. DeMartino who simply freshened up his coffee as he sat back to enjoy the show. “How dare you do that to their work?! What gives you the right to do that?!”

“It turned the negative message into a positive one.” Mr. O’Neill tried to explain, “Now it says that she’s pretty because she takes care of herself. Good nutrition rules!”

“Don’t you even see what you and Ms. Li have done?” Claire all but screamed, “You’ve totally altered the intent of the work. You call yourself a writer? You say you believe in free expression? I’m calling bullshit on that! How would you feel about someone taking one of your poems and changing the wording where it’s totally the opposite of what you intended?”

“Editors do that all the time.” Timothy weakly protested.

“They usually don’t do anything to change the meaning of a work.” Claire bit back, “And the better editors never do it without the author’s consent. Did Daria and Jane agree to this change?”

“No.” Mr. O’Neill confessed. “They wanted the poster withdrawn from the contest.”

“Then why the hell did you do it?” Claire demanded.

“Ms. Li made me do it!” The hapless English teacher cringed. “She entered the poster in the contest anyway.”

“Then I’m going to see Ms. Li and give her a piece of my mind!” Claire announced as she stormed out of the lounge. “No one does that to one of my students or to their work and gets away with it!”

‘Go get her, Claire.” Mr. DeMartino remarked from his vantage point. Then, turning to the now sobbing English teacher, Anthony’s lips turned up in a wicked grin, “You know…that’s the first time I’ve ever seen Claire pissed off. It’s about time she stood up.”

 

“We heard about what happened with the poster contest.” Elizaveta said as she and Angie approached Daria and Jane standing in front of their lockers.

“Yeah…” Angie agreed, “It sucks. So…” she asked, “…what are you going to do about it?”

“Plans are in motion.” Daria replied cryptically as she and Jane closed their lockers, “Don’t worry…we’ve got a handle on it.”

“Did you hear about the new smoothie shop that opened up this week? Maybe we should go there sometime and check it out?” Stacy asked as she, Quinn, and Tiffany walked down the hall together.

“No, I haven’t, but I wouldn’t mind checking it out to see if it’s any good.” Quinn responded, “Where is it?”

“I think it’s at 69 Lobinski Lane.” Stacy responded as, once again, Quinn’s face reddened.

“Excuse me.” Quinn exclaimed before darting away, “I gotta go to the bathroom.”

“I’ve had it!” Stacy exclaimed in frustration. “Every time she hears that number, she freaks out for some reason.” She then turned to Tiffany, “Go see if you can find Elizaveta and Angie and tell them to join us. It’s about time we found out what’s going on here.”

Following her friend to the girls room, Stacy at first didn’t see her friend. Then, seeing the closed stall, she first checked to be sure that the two were alone before speaking. “Ok, Quinn…no one else is here. You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.” Quinn said, her voice coming out from behind the stall door. “I’m ok. I just had to go to the bathroom.”

“Quinn…” Stacy persisted, “You’ve been freaking out every time that number’s mentioned. What is going on here? What happened? Please…tell me…I’m your friend.”

“We’d like to know too.” Elizaveta stated as she, Angie, and Tiffany walked into the restroom. “Is this tied in to you doing Daria’s chores and having to borrow money from me?”

“You’re having to borrow money?” Stacy exclaimed, “And you’re doing Daria’s chores? Quinn…are you in some sort of trouble?”

“I’m afraid…” Quinn stammered, “That…that…if I tell you, Elizaveta, you and Angie will get mad and stuff me in the trash can or something like that.”

“Like we did Brad Phillips?” Elizaveta chuckled, “The only reason we did that to him was because he called us dykes one time too often. You’ve never called us that or done anything like that to us. I promise…no stuffing in trash cans or lockers.”

Angie then instructed Tiffany, “You want to stand watch for us, Tiff? Make sure we’re not disturbed? We’ll fill you in on everything later—Promise.”

Nodding her head, Tiffany left the bathroom and took her position at the door. “Okay, Quinn…” Angie declared, “No one’s going to bug us. You can come out and talk to us.”

“All right…” Quinn replied as she opened the stall door, “But remember…you promised…no stuffing.”

“We promise, Quinn.” Elizaveta affirmed, “Now…what’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, Quinn confessed, “Sandi dropped me off home early on Monday and I noticed Angie’s car in front of the house, so I figured you were home studying. I just found out I got a C on my math quiz and I wanted to tell you. Well…no one was home and I heard you and Angie in your room and thought that you two were studying or talking or something like that. I know the door was closed, but it wasn’t locked and I didn’t think you’d mind, I was just going to stick my head in the door and tell you the news, then I saw you and Angie…uhhh…you were both…. ummm…doing that thing…Jane called it sixty-nine…and that number has just kept coming up all week and it’s killing me and Daria and Jane threatened to tell you if I didn’t give each of them a third of my allowance and do Daria’s chores for two months and I owe Jane a favor!”

A hush fell over the bathroom as the girls digested Quinn’s story, their faces turning red as the news set in. “You’re saying you caught us going down on each other. That’s why you’ve been acting so weird?” Angie said as Quinn weakly nodded her head. Then, Angie and Elizaveta both laughed, joined soon first by Stacy and then Quinn. “Gotta admit, baby…” Angie guffawed, “It’s funny. She opens the door, and the first thing she sees is your bare ass looking back at her.”

“I thought you liked my ass, szereto.” Elizaveta mock pouted as she kissed Angie on the nose.

“I love your ass, baby.” Angie responded with a low, sensual growl, “And I’m gonna show you how much I love it this weekend.”

“Ummm…” Stacy cleared her throat nervously.

“Wandering into Brittany and Kevin territory?” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Yeah.” Quinn nodded her head.

“Just a bit.” Stacy chimed in.

“Okay…sorry.” Elizaveta apologized and then exhaled, “We’re not mad at you, Quinn.” She said, her girlfriend nodding her head in agreement. “Now…if we’d have caught you then…”

“You’d have been flying out the window.” Angie finished. “But right now…it’s more funny than anything else.”

“But you should have knocked first.” Elizaveta stressed, adding apologetically, “And I should have made sure the door was locked—so it wasn’t all your fault. What I don’t like…” She declared with a frown, “Is Daria and Jane taking advantage of you like that.”

“So…what are we going to do about it, baby?” Angie asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

“We’re going to give those two a taste of their own medicine.” Elizaveta responded with a wicked grin. Then, she turned to Stacy and Quinn, “How would you two like to join us in teaching Daria and Jane a little lesson?”

Slowly, smiles appeared on both Stacy’s and Quinn’s faces. “Count us in, Sis.” Quinn replied with a grin.

“All right…” Elizaveta grinned, “Here’s what we’re going to do…”

 

Storming into the principal’s office before the receptionist could even get out of her chair, Ms. Defoe pointed an angry finger at Ms. Li as she all but shouted, “How dare you alter Jane and Daria’s work and then submit it without their permission!”

“Don’t talk to me like that, Ms. Defoe!” Ms. Li retorted, bolting up from her seat. “You should be thanking me. Not only am I doing this for the honor and glory of Laaaawndale High, I’m doing it because your students don’t know any better!”

“You have no right to do this!” Claire stubbornly protested. “That poster doesn’t belong to you—it belongs to the two girls who created it.”

“Oh…but you’re wrong…Ms. Defoe…” Ms. Li replied with a sly grin, “That poster is now school property.”

“Bullshit!” Claire swore. “I’m not going to let you do this!”

“You don’t have any choice in the matter.” The principal declared, “As of now you are suspended without pay pending a disciplinary review to determine whether your employment should be terminated for insubordination. Now…will you vacate the school grounds voluntarily or must I have the police escort you off.”

“I’m going.” Ms. Defoe growled, “But this isn’t over—not by a long shot.”

“I think it is.” Ms. Li snorted triumphantly. “Now, get out of my office.”

 

“All right…Stacy…Quinn…you know what your parts?” Elizaveta asked as they met in Quinn’s room.

“Yeah.” Quinn grinned, “Daria and Jane should be coming in soon. Tiffany’s looking out for them.”

A few minutes later, Tiffany came in the room and giggled, “They’re here.”

“Ok…” Angie smirked, “Showtime.”

“Oh that’s it, Quinn!” Angie purred, “That’s where it goes.”

“What the hell?” Jane, overhearing the cheerleader’s voice, whispered to her friend.

“Tiffany!.” Elizaveta exclaimed, “Keep eating…don’t stop!”

“Hey…it’s my turn!” Stacy’s voice called out. “I want some too!”

“They’re having an orgy in there.” Daria exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment, “Get the camera. This’ll pay for the Montana cabin.”

Bursting into Quinn’s room with her amiga, Jane, her camera at the ready, was shocked to discover that it was her and Daria being photographed by a grinning Tiffany.

“Gotcha!” All four girls, fully clothed and laughing, shouted in unison at Daria and Jane, both with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

“How was the blueberry pie, girls?” Elizaveta asked, seemingly ignoring Daria and Jane’s presence in the room as both Tiffany and Stacy nibbled on slices of pie.

“Very good.” Stacy praised, “Did you mom make it?”

“Actually, it was Apa.” Elizaveta replied, “He’s really not a bad cook so long as you keep the really hot peppers and spices away from him. His problem is that he likes to experiment.”

“And that was a good solution for x in that word problem, Quinn. You put it in just where it’s supposed to go.” Angie told the redheaded teen as both girls exchanged sly grins.

“Okay…” Daria grumbled, “We’ve been had. What are your terms?”

All traces of humor vanishing from her face, Elizaveta dictated her terms, “You both pay back the allowance money that you extorted from Quinn—plus ten percent interest as a penalty.” Seeing Daria about to object, Elizaveta held her hand up, “That’s a reasonable amount and you know it.” Seeing her sister reluctantly nodding her head, the young blonde continued, “Also, for every day of Quinn doing your chores, you do hers—I think that’s fair payback.”

“Agreed.” Daria nodded her head.

“And you, Jane…” Elizaveta commanded, turning her attention on the artist, “No favors owed—clean slate.”

“Done.” Jane agreed, “I know when I’ve been beaten.”

“All right…that’s settled then.” Elizaveta grinned, “Now…unless you want to join us…”

“No thanks.” Daria replied with a disgusted look on her face, “We’ve got somewhere else to be.”

Chuckling as the two girls walked away, Angie gave her girlfriend a kiss, “So…celebrate at Alessandro’s tonight?” 

“You know it, szereto.” Elizaveta grinned and then turned to the other girls in the room. “What about it Quinn…Stacy…Tiffany…want to join us?”

“Really?” Quinn exclaimed, her expression one of hope. “We can come with you?”

“Yes.” Angie smiled, “Really.”

The three younger girls grinned, “Ok…we’re in.”

As the two amigas walked to Daria’s room, Jane shook her head, “Well…they got us good. What are we going to do about it?”

“Nothing right now.” Daria said, “You know what they say about revenge…”

“Yeah.” Jane grinned, “It’s best served cold.”

“Right.” Daria nodded her head as her lips turned up in a sly grin, “Besides…we’ve got something more important to take care of now.”

Jane nodded her head in agreement, “We’re not going to let Ms. Li get away with showing that poster are we?”

“No.” Daria declared, “When we get in my room, give Trent a call. I’ve got an idea…”

 

As Elizaveta, Angie, and the three girls with them entered Alessandro’s, the first thing they noticed was Ms. Defoe seated at the bar drinking something that was most definitely not coffee.

“Claire normally doesn’t touch the hard stuff.” Angie noted as the saw the art teacher almost tip over her drink.

“Looks like she’s had more than she should, too.” Elizaveta commented. Then, turning to Quinn and the other girls, she instructed, “Why don’t you girls grab that booth over there…” She gestured at the booth that she and Angie normally sat, “…and grab yourselves something to drink. If you don’t want coffee, they’ve got some good sparkling sodas and fruit drinks that are low-cal that you’ll like.”

“Ok.” Quinn nodded her head as she guided her friends to the booth. “If there’s anything we can do…”

“We’ll let you know.” Elizaveta said with a warm smile. Then, turning to her girlfriend, she prompted, “Let’s check on Claire. She doesn’t look so good.”

Approaching their art teacher, the two blondes took stools on either side of her. “Is everything all right, Claire?” Angie asked in a low voice.

“Angie…Elizhaveta…my two favorite dancshers…” She slurred, “What are you doin’ here?”

“You’re drunk, Claire.” Elizaveta said plainly, “What happened?”

“Mszzz Li shushpended me for inshubordination because I tol’ her what she and Timothy…that weaszel…wasz doin’ with Jane and Daria’ssssz poshter wasz bullshit.”

“What did they do to their poster?” Angie asked as Elizaveta signaled to the bartender.

“Liam…” Elizaveta whispered, “Three coffees…regular…”

Nodding his head, the bartender replied, “Right. Three regular coffees coming up.”

“What happened, Claire?” Angie asked, repeating her question as the bartender brought over three coffees.

“Mszz. Li an’ Timothy the weaszel are showing their picture at the art exzhibit tonight without their permishshsssion. The weaszel changed the words Daria wrote. Totally changed the meaning and ruined it. Fucking old bitch and her pet weaszel!”

“I have a feeling that’s what Daria meant when she said that she and Jane had to be somewhere else.” Elizaveta concluded, “They’re going to do something at that showing, and knowing the two of them, it’s going to get people pissed.”

“So…what do you wanna do, baby?” Angie asked. “Claire can’t drive home and I don’t want to just leave her here or dump her into a cab.”

“Same here, szereto.” Elizaveta agreed. “We need to get Claire out of here and the girls back home.”

“I know you got your license last week, baby.” Angie recalled and then asked, “Are you comfortable driving at night?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head., “I’ve gotten in some night driving practice. As long as I don’t have to drive in a big city or in a lot of traffic, I should be fine.”

“Ok.” Angie nodded her head, “Traffic shouldn’t be too bad now. Can I get you to take my car and drive Stacy and Tiffany home and then come over to my place with Quinn while I drive Claire over in her car?”

“Sure.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she took Angie’s car keys. “I’ll go tell the girls.” She then suggested, “It might not be a bad idea for me to call anya and have her meet us at your place.”

“Good idea.” Angie quickly agreed, “She might have some ideas. I’ll call my mom while you call yours and get the girls.” Then, gently tapping Ms. Defoe on her shoulder, Angie suggested, “Let me drive you over to my house. My mom can fix you something to eat and we can talk.”

“Ok.” Claire grinned, “I like you girlszzz.”

“We like you too.” Angie smiled back as she took out her credit card and settled the bill for everyone. “C’mon, Claire.”

Seeing her sister approaching, Quinn asked with a note of concern in her voice, “Is everything all right, Elizaveta?”

“Yeah, everything will be fine, Quinn.” Elizaveta responded, “I’m about to call anya and then I’m going to take Stacy and Tiffany back to their homes and we’re going on to Angie’s house while Angie takes Ms. Defoe there in her car.”

“What’s going on, Elizaveta?” Stacy asked as she and the other girls quickly drank their drinks. “Is Ms. Defoe going to be ok?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, giving the other girls a reassuring grin. “She’s just had too much of the wrong stuff to drink.” She then took a deep breath and exhaled, “I think Daria and Jane are about to start a shitstorm. It shouldn’t hit any of you, but Ms. Defoe’s in it over her head and I think we’re going to need anya for this.”

“We’re ready to go when you are.” Quinn said in a quiet voice.

“Right.” Elizaveta said as she dialed Helen’s number on the cell phone. “Hello, anya…no…we’re all ok. I need to ask you to meet us over at Angie’s house. Yeah, it’s very important. I’m going to drop Stacy and Tiffany off at their houses and take Quinn and meet you there. I’m driving in Angie’s car. It’s complicated. I promise Angie and I’ll explain everything when we meet. Yeah, Angie’s calling her mother right now. You can call her for more info. Okay, I promise. I’ll explain everything. Bye.”

Meeting up with Angie, who was supporting Ms. Defoe as she staggered towards the door, Elizaveta immediately went to the art teacher’s other side and, helping her girlfriend, walked their drunken teacher out the door and towards her car with Quinn and the other girls walking behind talking quietly among themselves.

After dropping Stacy and Tiffany off at their houses, Elizaveta arrived at Angie’s house only to see that both Angie and Helen Morgendorffer were already there., “Come on, Quinn. Anya’s here.” Entering the house, the two girls saw Claire sitting on the sofa, sipping from a cup of coffee, with Angie on one side of her and Ms. Morgendorffer on the other.

“Here’s some coffee, Elizaveta.” Mrs. Harmon said with a smile as she came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee, handing one of the cups to the young blonde. Then, flashing a smile at Quinn, she prompted, “There’s sodas in fridge if you want. Help yourself.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Harmon.” Quinn replied as she made her way to the kitchen, returning moments later with a diet soda.

“Angie and Jessica explained everything, sweetie.” Helen smiled as she made room for her step-daughter on the couch. “You two did a very good job handling the situation.”

“How’s Ms. Defoe doing?” Quinn asked as she took a seat on a nearby chair.

“I’m a little better now.” Ms. Defoe replied as she took a sip of coffee. “At least the room’s no longer spinning.” Then, seeing all of the concerned faces gazing at her, she sighed, “I’m sorry I put you through all this.”

“It’s all right, dear.” Mrs. Harmon said with a compassionate smile. 

“You said something about Ms. Li and Mr. O’Neill stealing Daria and Jane’s work?” Elizaveta gently prompted.

“Yeah.” Claire nodded her head as she took a sip of water. “I found out about it. Told Timothy off and then told off Ms. Li. She suspended me without pay and is threatening to bring me up before a disciplinary board.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the forlorn art teacher, after taking another sip of coffee, declared, “I’m just going to go ahead and hand in my resignation on Monday. I don’t need this bullshit.”

“Is that what you want to do?” Helen asked, “Do you really want to quit?”

“No.” Claire responded, shaking her head. “I love my students. I have some very creative artists and dancers and I don’t want to leave them.”

“Then don’t. Stay and fight.” Elizaveta declared. Turning to her step-mother, she pleaded, “Is there anything you can do, anya?”

“Maybe.” Helen nodded her head. She then addressed her next remarks to the art teacher, “Ms. Defoe…before you do or say anything, see me tomorrow morning in my office. I think there might be a way to get you reinstated with your back pay.”

“Thank you.” Claire responded weakly as she took a sip of water.

“I think we’ve done everything we can here.” Helen declared as she rose to her feet. “You ready to go home Elizaveta…Quinn.”

“Just a moment, please, anya?” Elizaveta pleaded and then, after receiving an answering nod from her step-mother, moved over to where Angie was sitting and gave her girlfriend a tender kiss, “See you tomorrow, szereto.”

“Tomorrow, baby.” Angie smiled back and then turning to her mother, she suggested, “Ms. Defoe can take my room tonight and I can sleep on the sofa if that’s ok with you?”

“Sure, dear.” Jessica replied as she helped Ms. Defoe to her feet, “Come on, Claire. Some sleep will do you good and I’ll have plenty of coffee, aspirin, and water for you in the morning—I’m afraid you’re going to need it.”

 

The next morning, as Helen sat down with her new client, the phone rang. Having already been appraised by Elizaveta as to what Daria and Jane were probably up to the previous night, Helen was ready to put on the show she had planned.

“Mrs. Morgendorffer?” Ms. Li snorted as she spoke to the auburn-haired lawyer over the phone, “I’m afraid that your daughter, Daria, has been involved in an act of vandalism?”

“Oh?” Helen exclaimed in apparent shocked surprise.

“I’m afraid so.” Ms. Li declared, “You’re aware that she collaborated with Jane Lane on a project for an art contest.”

“Yes, I am.” Helen replied, putting the call on speaker as she flashed a brief grin at Ms. Defoe, sitting across from her.

“We found part of the poster unacceptable.” Ms. Li announced, “So we altered it prior to entry. Unfortunately, someone defaced it and since your daughter and Ms. Lane objected to having it altered, I must assume that they are the vandals. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take drastic action.”

“Excuse me.” Helen interjected, “Let me make sure I’m clear on this. You’re saying that the girls were against the changes being made, but they entered it in the contest anyway?”

“It was entered in for them.” Ms. Li clarified.

“I was under the impression that participation in the contest was voluntary.” Helen countered.

“It was.” Ms. Li concurred, “But because your daughter refused to volunteer, it was made mandatory in her case.”

“So…” Helen summarized, “You’re saying, Ms. Li, that you took my daughter and her friend’s poster from them, altered its content, exhibited it against their will, and are now threatening disciplinary action because they defaced their own work which you admit to having stolen.”

“No…No!” A suddenly flustered Ms. Li protested, “That’s not what I said…that’s not what I said at all!”

“I’ve got a witness sitting in my office right now who is willing to testify that is exactly what you’ve done.” Helen declared, “She is also preparing to file suit against you and the school board for wrongful suspension and termination of employment. So…unless you want to add that in addition to the civil rights lawsuit I’m preparing to file, you’ll immediately do the following.: One—you will not carry out any disciplinary actions against Daria or Jane. Two—you will reinstate Ms. Claire Defoe back in her current position with all back pay restored and no reprimands or disciplinary notes in her record. You will either comply with these demands, or subpoenas will fly. Your choice.”

“All right.” Ms. Li grumbled, “No disciplinary action against Daria Morgendorffer or Jane Lane and Ms. Defoe can return to her job today with full pay and no disciplinary notes in her file.”

“Good. I’ll send a legal written document stating that for you to sign.” Helen declared. “I expect that it will be signed and on my desk by the end of the week. Goodbye Ms. Li, try to have a pleasant day.” After hanging up the phone, Helen smiled at her client. “Let me know if she causes you any problems, Claire, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, Helen.” Ms. Defoe responded as she stood up, “If it’s ok, I’m going to go on back to school. There’s a couple of students I want to say thank you to.”

 

Spying Elizaveta and Angie walking together on their way to lunch, Claire called out to them, “Girls? Wanna join me for lunch?”

“Sure.” Both girls replied as they joined the art teacher, “So…I take it everything went ok this morning?” Elizaveta asked.

“Yeah.” Ms. Defoe replied as she handed the two girls a fruit drink each. “Thank you…. for everything. I’m sorry you saw me that way.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Angie replied with a warm grin, “I guess we all have bad days—and nights.”

“Well…” Claire grinned as she proposed a toast, “Here’s to all our days being good days—and to no more hangovers.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Elizaveta responded with a gentle laugh as both Angie and Claire joined her.

 

“You know I love it when you do that, szereto.” Elizaveta said as she spoke to her girlfriend on the phone, “I can’t wait for tomorrow. Yeah, anya says its ok for me to sleep over. No, I don’t intend for either one of us to get much sleep. Yes, I am very horny right now. See you tomorrow, szereto. Bye.” After she hung up the phone, the young blonde heard a gentle rapping on her door. “Come in!” She called out. The door opened to reveal Helen holding a bottle of wine and two glasses in her hands.

“Can I come in, sweetie?” Helen asked.

“Sure, anya.” Elizaveta responded as Helen entered the room. Then, setting the glasses on the dresser, she poured wine in both glasses. Handing one glass to her step-daughter, Helen took the other for herself. “It’s ok, dear. I know you’ve drunk some wine now and again and I also know you’re good about not drinking too much. I figure we both could use a glass after this week.”

“Tell me about it.” Elizaveta grinned as she took a sip of wine. “This is very good.”

“Yeah.” Helen replied, “I got it from Eric as a present for bringing in the settlement for the last case. Been a helluva week, hasn’t it?”

“That it has.” Elizaveta agreed, “I guess I should tell you about what was going on with Quinn this week. I just found out about it yesterday.”

“I’m listening.” Helen responded as Elizaveta explained the whole incident. By the end of her tale, both women were laughing, “So…we set up a trap for Daria and Jane and made them give back Quinn the allowance they took from her plus a little extra and Daria’s having to do Quinn’s chores for the days that Quinn did hers.”

“Not bad.” Helen nodded her head approvingly as the pair sipped their wines. “I probably would have given her something similar as a punishment. Don’t worry, I’ll keep quiet about it.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta grinned, her face reddening slightly, “Besides…it was partly my fault that it happened. She should have knocked…” Helen nodded her head at that, “But, I should have checked to be sure the door was locked too.”

“Yeah.” Helen agreed, and then blushing, smirked, “You also might want to try not to be so loud.” Seeing the look of surprise on her step-daughter’s face, she explained with an embarrassed chuckle, “I had to come in from work last week to grab a file I’d left at home and you and Angie were upstairs and…let’s just say you were pretty vocal.” Helen grinned as her blush deepened, “You’ve got to tell me what Angie did to you to get that reaction—maybe I can get Jake to do it to me.”

“Ok…” Elizaveta grinned, blushing furiously herself as she whispered into Helen’s ear. Soon after, both girls began giggling.

“Thanks, sweetie.” Helen smiled as she picked up the bottle and wine glasses, “I enjoyed our talk. We need to do this more often. Maybe one of these days…” She said in a low voice with a forlorn look on her face, “I can do this with Daria and Quinn too.”

“You will, anya.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Just give it time.”

“Good night, sweetie.”

“Good night, anya.”

Later on that night, as Elizaveta, lying in bed, replayed the events of this very eventful week in her mind, a mischievous grin crossed her face as she heard her step-mother call out in a very loud voice, “Oh Jakey!”


	20. Brain Surgery

“Once I got home, I parked myself under the shower and stayed there for at least an hour.” Jodie grumbled as she and Mack sat with the Barbies at their usual lunch table. Forking her chopped steak with disgust, she remarked, “If there ever was a hell on earth, that paintball camp was it.”

“Hey…at least we got to see Mr. DeMartino get splattered multiple times.” Mack quipped cheerfully as Kevin and Brittany joined them at the table.

“Yeah, Mack Daddy!” Kevin laughed, “That was so cool!”

“Your girlfriend got you pretty good there, Kevin.” Mack retorted, fighting down his initial impulse to snap at the quarterback for calling him by the nickname he despised.

“It was war.” Brittany exclaimed and then gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, “But now we’re at peace again.”

“So…where were the two of you during the wargames?” Mack asked with a big smile on his face as he addressed the Barbies. “We didn’t see you after we broken up in teams until it was time to go back."

“You missed a cool party at the shack.” Kevin interjected with a goofy grin.

“We found a sniper’s blind up in the trees and hunkered down there during all the mayhem and then, when it started raining, we decided to stay there and fool around.” Elizaveta answered back with a wicked grin.

“That explains the mussed up hair and the fact the two of you were wearing each other’s shirts when we caught the bus back.” Jodie laughed.

“Tell me you were the only two who noticed that.” Angie sighed melodramatically.

“Well hello, ladies…” Upchuck growled in a weak effort at sounding sexy as he approached the lunch table with his tray, “I see you’re wearing your own shirts today…”

“Go away, Upchuck.’ Angie growled in a threatening tone

“Empty trash can with your name on it, Upchuck!” Elizaveta warned in a low voice.

“Eep!” The redheaded boy squeaked before beating a hasty retreat. “See you later, ladies!” 

“You scared the poor boy.” Angie chuckled as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I was hoping to see how well he fit into that trash can.” Jane quipped as she and Daria joined the little group.

“So…was the great white shark everything you thought it would be?” Jodie asked as she turned her attention to the newcomers.

“The scary great white shark was a cheap tourist rip off.” Daria grumbled as she stared down at what passed for lunch.

“Hey…I thought the tour was cool.” Jane smirked.

“At least we got away from the silliness.” Daria remarked caustically. “Those paintballs hurt.”

“Tell me about it.” Mack groaned. “I’ve still got bruises.” He then grinned at the Barbies, “I notice you two didn’t get hit.”

“That’s because we were smart enough to not get hit.” Angie smirked as she praised her girlfriend, “My baby got us through your lines to that sniper’s blind without none of you noticing us. You’d almost think she’d done that before…”

“Maybe I did?” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders. “It just sort of felt like that was what I was supposed to do. Maybe I used to go out in the woods a lot or something like that.”

“Anyway…we caught Skylar Feldman and his pal walking down the path and hit those two scuzzes with a nice ambush.” Angie laughed.

“Those morons deserved worse.” Elizaveta growled, “We can’t prove it, but I’m sure it’s those two hülyék who spray painted that word on our lockers a few weeks ago.”

“They’ll get theirs one day, baby.” Angie said in a soothing voice as she squeezed Elizaveta’s hand. “Anyway…we got Brad at least when we parked his ass in that trash can after he made that crack about us.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed, “It was worth the three days detention.”

“Not to mention the private party we had after to celebrate our release.” Angie raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“So…did your mother and father get back ok?” Jodie asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta sighed, “They were a mess after crawling around in those tunnels and apa had a nice shiner. I’m not sure if anya hit him or he ran into a branch. She was pretty pissed at him and both of them had a bit too much to drink.”

A slight grin appearing on her face, Daria quipped, “One thing good came out of it…Quinn got grounded for a week when they found out she snuck off with her friends after school instead of doing her homework.”

“What did you do all your essays on for O’Neill?” Jodie asked the group

“I did a critique of _Death of a Salesman_ ,” Daria replied, “I called it, _He Had it Coming_.” She explained, “It’s a morality play. Compromise your values, lose sight of your dreams, cheat on your spouse, and you’re dead. Simple…clear cut.”

“Hmmm….” Angie considered Daria’s answer before replying, “I think I see where you’re coming from. But…” She countered, “Your interpretation would also imply that he was judged by a higher power.”

“Not necessarily.” Daria responded, “Willy Loman made his choices on his own accord. The end result was simply the product of those consequences weighing him down.”

“And since he didn’t have the strength to deal with those choices…” Jodie began.

“He chose the easy way out.” Jane finished.

“Exactly.” Daria nodded her head

“You’re saying he didn’t have any guts—right, Daria?” Kevin remarked, showing remarkable insight.

“Very good, Kevin.” A surprised Daria responded.

“A broken clock’s right twice a day.” Jane whispered under her breath as a slight grin appeared on her amiga’s face.

“What did you do your paper on?” Brittany asked her best friend.

“I did it on a trip my family took to Vermont to see the leaves change when I was eight.” Angie replied with a warm smile. “Most of the essay was about me, my mother, and my father walking in the woods and us laughing at his jokes and singing silly songs.”

“That’s sweet.” Jodie said with a tender smile of her own. “What about you Elizaveta?”

“It took me some time to come up with a topic, because I don’t really know anything about my past, so, I decided to write about Jadzia.”

“Jadzia?” Mack questioned, “Isn’t she that woman that you see in your dreams a lot?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I can’t shake the feeling that I know or knew her and that we were…friends…close friends.” She then smiled at her girlfriend as she gave her hand a squeeze, “Like the way Angie is with Brittany.”

“You mean like BFFs.” Brittany interrupted. “Angie’s my best friend forever.”

“And you’re mine, Britt.” Angie smiled back, the affection in her voice genuine.

“Your friend must be someone really nice, Elizaveta and I bet she feels very lucky to have you as a friend.” Brittany declared as she absent-mindedly twirled a lock of her hair, “Maybe you’ll get to see Jadzia again one day. I’d like to meet her.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta replied in a soft tone as she remembered that the last time Jadzia had appeared in her dream, she said she was dead.

Sensing her lover’s growing sadness, Angie quickly changed the subject, “We better get to class. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not going to sit through another one of O’Neill’s crying jags.”

“We can always get Ms. Barch to come in and jump his bones like I hear she did at the paintball camp.” Mack joked.

“Don’t do that!” Elizaveta, her mood improving, laughed as the group headed on to class, “I’m getting sick just thinking about that.”

 

“Not bad, Elizaveta.” Angie grinned as she read her girlfriend’s essay, “An A minus. And you made O’Neill cry.”

“Yeah.” Mack grinned, “Got us out of at least a half hour of lecturing about actualizing our potential.”

“And for that, you have our eternal thanks.” Daria chimed in as she and Jane joined the discussion.

“Well, I’m not going to ask how you did, Daria.” Mack remarked, “We all know you got an A. So…how did you do, Jane?”

“C.” The artist replied with a mild grimace.

“That’s because you wrote about Trent sleeping all day.” Angie quipped, not noticing the slight blush coming to Daria’s cheek on the mention of Jane’s brother’s name.

“Hey.” Jane shrugged her shoulders, “The essay was supposed to be about something personal—a favorite book or play, family, friends, that sort of stuff, so I wrote about Trent’s narcolepsy. Not my fault O’Neill couldn’t see the drama in his snoring.”

“I got a B!” Brittany exclaimed with a big smile on her face.

“Jane…” Daria muttered in a low voice, “I think I just saw a pig fly.”

“I think I saw the same pig.” Jane answered back.

Laughing inwardly at the raised eyebrows from both Daria and Jane, Angie praised her friend before asking, “That’s great, Britt! I’m proud of you. So, what did you write about?”

“I wrote about the day we spent together at your home after…” Brittany’s smile disappeared to be replaced by a sad frown, “…after my mom left.”

Giving her friend a hug, Angie replied in a gentle voice, “Yeah…I remember that day too. And you were there for me when my dad died. That’s what best friends do for each other—right?”

“Yeah.” Brittany smiled as she returned her friend’s hug, “We’re always going to be friends—aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are, Brittany.” Angie grinned, “We’ll remain friends even if entire universes separate us.” Watching as Quinn and the other freshmen began filing into Mr. O’Neill’s classroom, the platinum-blonde cheerleader suggested, “We better get moving or we’ll be late for Barch’s class.”

“Yeah, Mack.” Jodie quipped, “You know what happens to the last boy to enter the classroom after the bell rings.”

“Don’t remind me!” Mack sighed, “Although it was fun watching Upchuck getting locked in the closet again.”

 

“Where’s Quinn.” Angie asked as the freshmen flew out of Mr. O’Neill’s class as the last period bell rang. “I’d have thought that she’s be the first one out.”

“Don’t know, szereto.” Elizaveta responded, then noticing Stacy exiting the classroom, she suggested, “There’s Stacy…let’s see if we can find out something from her.” 

At once spotting Elizaveta’s signal for her to join the two blondes, Stacy nodded her head in understanding as she approached. “Can’t wait too long, I promised I’d save a place for Quinn at the mirror. So…what’s up?”

“That’s what we were hoping you could answer.” Angie replied, “Normally Quinn’s one of the first out of there…so…she in any trouble?”

“Hmmm…” Stacy pondered the question for a moment before replying. “Not that I know of… Wait! We got our grades for our essays today. I got a C and the J’s got Fs…”

“Figures.” Elizaveta rolled her eyes as she chuckled.

“Yeah.” Stacy joined in the laughter and then speculated, “Maybe Quinn didn’t do so well on it? She didn’t show me her grade and I know she’s been having problems in English recently. I admit…” She guiltily confessed, “I don’t do as well as I could because I don’t want Sandi giving me a hard time, but I don’t think Quinn’s even trying.”

“You could be right. She doesn’t seem to care about anything these days if it doesn’t involve fashion or dating.” Elizaveta agreed, nodding her head as Quinn exited the classroom with a hangdog expression on her face and clutching a piece of paper in her hands. “It looks like she just got sentenced to death.”

“Death by F.” Angie smirked.

“Anya isn’t going to be happy about this.” Elizaveta commented, shaking her head. “I have a feeling dinner’s going to be eventful.”

“Well…baby…” Angie grinned, “Why don’t I treat you to a cup of coffee before taking you home to cheer you up.”

“Ok, szereto.” Then turning to Stacy, the lovely blonde suggested, “You know you can come with if you want.”

“Wish I could.” Stacy replied, “But I promised Quinn I’d meet her at the mirror and you know what that means.”

“Yeah. Serious gossiping.” Angie chuckled as the duo waved goodbye to their friend, “We’ll see you later and tell Tiffany hi from us.”

 

“Where are the girls, Jake?” Helen asked as she walked into the kitchen clutching a letter in her hand.

“They were here earlier.” Jake responded, “What’s wrong? That’s not the phone bill is it? I dialed a wrong number and that young woman on the other side just wouldn’t let me hang up…”

“It’s not the phone bill, Jake…” Helen quickly interrupted, “Although we are going to talk about that later. This is from Quinn’s English teacher…” Then, catching Quinn out the corner of her eye trying to quietly back out of the kitchen, she snapped, “Where do you think you’re going, young lady!”

“Oh…Hi Mom…” Quinn stammered as she saw the letter in her mother’s hand, “I was going to ask you if it’d be ok for me to volunteer at the…uhhhm…animal shelter…but I see you’re busy now so I’ll come back later.”

“Hold it!” Helen commanded. “I got this note today from your school. It says you’re failing English…”

“Oh that!” Quinn smiled, “All I have to do is get an A on my next essay and I’ll pass the course.”

“I’ll take the odds on that.” Daria smirked.

“Daria!” Helen sighed, “We need to be more supportive of your sister.” She then turned to Quinn, “Honey…this is about more than just an essay. If you’re going to get anywhere in life, you have to set goals and work towards them.”

“Not again!” Quinn cried out in frustration. “You gave me this talk when I skipped…I mean I forgot…where my math class was.”

Pinching her nose, Elizaveta lowered her head and shook it in disbelief.

“You know Quinn…” Daria smirked, “You could become the oldest freshman in Lawndale High…”

“Oh no!” Quinn exclaimed, “I’ve got to get to work.”

Watching as her step-sister dashed up the stairs, Elizaveta barely held back a derisive snort as she spoke to her other sister, “How much do you want to bet that she tries to sucker one or both of us to write her paper for her?”

“No way I’m taking that bet.” Daria grunted as she began to make her way up the stairs. “She’s on her own here.”

Waiting until her other two daughters had safely gone up the stairs, Helen asked Elizaveta, “Is Quinn really in danger of failing?”

“I think so, Anya.” The lovely blonde replied as she joined her step-parents at the kitchen table. “I was talking with one of her classmates today, and she told me that Quinn’s been screwing off in just about everything. It’s like if it doesn’t involve boys or clothes or whatever the current trend is, she just doesn’t care.”

“Do you think it’s that Fashion Club she belongs to that’s pulling her down?” Helen asked as she brought over iced teas for Elizaveta and Jake and then got one for herself.

“I don’t think it’s the Fashion Club…not really.” Elizaveta shook her head, “I think it’s more she wants to stay popular with Sandi Griffin and her boy toys…”

“You mean those three morons?” Helen interjected.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled. “I think she’s afraid that if people think she’s a brain, she won’t be as popular.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Helen shook her head. “Look at you and Angie. You both have good grades, you’re attractive and involved in a lot of extracurricular activities and your fellow students all seem to like you except for those few morons you’ve told me about.”

“That’s because they’re not afraid of what anyone else says about them.” Jake remarked, dropping his usual display of cluelessness to show an unusual awareness of the situation.

“Apa’s right…we’re just ourselves, but we also usually don’t go out of our way to antagonize people…”

“Like Daria seems to enjoy doing.” Helen sighed as Elizaveta reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. She then shook her head, “You know…they both have a lot more common than they like to think they do. They’re both concerned with how other people see them and they put out an image that hides who they really are—although Daria would never admit that. And they’re both bright and intelligent—although Quinn would never admit to that.” She chuckled, “If we could put them all together into one package, we’d have super-daughter.” 

She then looked sternly on her step-daughter, “And as for you…Elizaveta…One of these days that temper of yours is going to get you in trouble if you don’t do a better job controlling it. You know the only reason you didn’t get grounded after that incident concerning the boy and the trash can was that you’d already gotten detention and what he said to you and Angie was way beyond the pale. Just don’t make a regular practice of it.” The auburn-haired lawyer warned, “There’s a fine line between using force because you feel you have to and have no other choice and becoming a bully and you can cross it without even realizing it.” She sighed as she reluctantly confessed, “I’ve crossed it a few times. I don’t want you or Quinn to be like Linda’s daughter. You’re both better than that.”

“You’re right, Anya.” Elizaveta replied in a contrite voice. “I’ll do a better job controlling my temper—I promise.”

“That’s good enough for me, Sweetie.” Helen replied, the smile returning to her face as she saw that her rebuke had been received and taken to heart. However, her smile quickly vanished as she recognized the look on her husband’s face.

“They weren’t beaten down like I was at Buxton Ridge.” Jake grumbled and then spoke to Elizaveta, “Remember when we all went on that paintball thing and me and your Mom got into that stupid fight?”

“Yeah, Apa.” Elizaveta responded, nodding her head.

“Well…I was trapped in a tent with that history teacher of yours…”

“Mr. DeMartino?”

“Yeah…” Jake nodded his head, “That’s the one. We were…” He blushed, “We were trading stories over a canteen of…”

“Booze.” Helen interjected. “Don’t feel bad, Jake. I was doing the same thing with that horrid principal.”

Jake laughed self-consciously, “I think we all had too much to drink that day. Anyway…” He recounted, “We talked about a lot of stuff. He talked about his childhood and his time in Vietnam and I…well…I kind of went off about Mad Dog and Buxton Ridge.” He shook his head as he lowered it in sadness, “I can still remember everything like it just happened those days before I got shipped off to school and then everything that happened to me at that hellhole…”

 

**_Several Years Ago…_ **

“That goddamn boy’s got no spine!” Nathan “Mad Dog” Morgendorffer swore as he his son Jake rushed crying into the house with a black eye received courtesy of the local bullies. “Can’t even stand up for himself.”

“He’s your son, Nathan!” Ruth Morgendorffer admonished as she went into the kitchen and emerged with an ice pack. “Don’t you want to even find out what happened?”

“He got his ass kicked because he wouldn’t fight back.” The broken down soldier growled as he limped back to his chair. Plopping down on the chair, he lit up a cigarette. “Fucking useless.”

Shaking her head, Ruth followed the sound of sobbing into her son’s room. Opening the door, she found him lying in bed crying. “Jake? Jake, honey?” She called out softly, “It’s ok, my baby. Mommy’s here.”

“Mommy?”

“Yes, honey.” Ruth said in a reassuring voice as she sat on the bed next to her boy. “Let me take a look at that shiner.” Then, placing the ice pack on the bruise, she said in a gentle tone, “Keep that on there and it’ll help.” Placing a soft hand on her son’s shoulder, she asked, “What happened?”

“Phil Rickey and his gang caught me walking down the streets and threatened to beat me up if I didn’t give him my ice cream cone. I got so mad that I threw it on the ground. If I wasn’t going to have it—I wasn’t going to let him have it either. Then his friends grabbed me while he punched me.”

“So you couldn’t have fought back if you wanted to.” Ruth replied as she hugged her little boy.

“No.”

“Well…I think you’re a brave young man.” Ruth stroked little Jake’s hair with a troubled look on her face. _This is the third time those boys have gone after Jake and each time it’s gotten worse. I’ve got to do something to get him away from them…but what?_

Returning downstairs, Ruth at once noticed that her husband was sitting on his chair reading the newspaper while smoking. “Nathan?” She called out.

“Yeah, Ruth.” The old soldier called back, “What is it now?”

“It’s Jake, Honey. We have to talk.”

“That boy needs to grow up to be a man.” Nathan growled, “One day, Uncle Sam’s gonna call him like he called me and he needs to be ready.”

“Nathan…” Ruth interrupted, “Those boys ganged up on Jake. And…the beatings are getting worse. I’m afraid of what they’ll do to him if we don’t get him away from them.”

“He’s got to learn to stand up for himself.” Mad Dog declared as he pointed to an ad in the newspaper. “And I know the perfect place for him to go to learn how to do that—Buxton Ridge Military Academy.”

“A military academy?” Ruth gasped, “Is that really the best solution?”

“You bet it is!” Mad Dog growled, “I served under the Commandant in Korea. He’s a tough old man who’ll make sure that Jake learns how to stand up for himself and be a man. He’ll learn everything he needs to learn so that when it’s his turn to stand up and be counted, he’ll be able to do it. And I won’t have to put up with his whimpering and crying anymore."

“Jake’s a sensitive boy, Nathan…” Ruth protested, “Buxton Ridge isn’t the sort of school for a boy like him. Why don’t we look at some preparatory schools…maybe this one…” She suggested, pointing to an ad for Westport School of the Arts and Sciences.

“No.” Mad Dog violently shook his head. “I’m not sending my boy off to a school where he’s mollycoddled and told how special he is. Also, we can’t afford those schools. I know I can get a discount from the Commandant—I pulled his ass out of a nasty situation at Chosin, he owes me one or two. Jake’s going to a school that will teach him what he needs to know. He goes to Buxton Ridge—end of discussion!”

 

**_The Present_ **

“You were sent to military school to get you away from bullies?” Elizaveta asked with a confused look on her face, “When that school did nothing but bully you…”

“Yeah.” Jake replied as Helen placed a supportive arm around her husband’s shoulders. “It wasn’t just because I accidentally stepped on my father’s contact like I told your teacher…although I’m sure stuff like that entered into his decision to send me there.”

“But why did your mother go along with it? Why did she give in so easily?” 

Shaking his head, Jake responded in a soft voice, “Because I wasn’t the only one he beat. Whenever my mother heard those words…’End of discussion…’ she knew that she either shut up or she got beaten. After a few beatings, she just shut up.”

“Was he always like that?” Elizaveta asked, “Why didn’t she take you and leave him?”

“And go where?” Jake responded. “The times were different. You didn’t have shelters for people fleeing abuse and Mad Dog was a local hero—the man who brought his squad back from the Chosin Reservoir and saved his CO’s life. The cops and courts would have sided with him. Also, Mom’s family was poor…they couldn’t support her and me. It was tough for single mothers back then. She’d have a hard time finding a job and taking care of me at the same time. She was stuck…and so was I. We were both being crushed under that man’s heel.” 

His head lowered, Jake sighed, “Mom did her best…she sent little care packages like cookies, but those packages Ellenbogan and the Commandant didn’t confiscate were stolen by the other cadets. I was all alone at that school. He never wrote me…never came to visit…and he wouldn’t let Mom come see me either—she told me once that he told her he wouldn’t let her go because it would make me homesick and I had to learn to be out on my own. I had to stay there even during the summer and holidays. Thanksgiving…Christmas…Easter…in a way, I actually looked forward to the holidays because it meant that all the other students and teachers who bullied me went home too so I could have a little peace. But the Commandant and Corporal Ellenbogan were always there…always there to make my life a living hell.”

 

**_The Past: Buxton Ridge_ **

“Get down and give me fifty, Morgendorffer!” Corporal Ellenbogan yelled into young Jake’s ear as the terrified fourteen-year old fell to the floor and began doing pushups.

“Count ‘em off, wimp!” The sadistic corporal barked as the young cadet’s fellow students stood stone-faced except for two boys near the end of the line who barely concealed their smirks as they enjoyed the scrawny new kid’s torment. “I can’t believe you’ve got the nerve to call yourself Mad Dog’s son! You’re not fit to carry the Morgendorffer name, you worthless sack of manure!”

“One.” Jake groaned as he struggled to lift his body from the floor.

“I can’t hear you!”

“Two.” Jake cried out.

“What was that? I thought I heard you say One! Give me another twenty-five!” Ellenbogan yelled. “We’re gonna do this until you get it right, boy!”

After what seemed an eternity, Corporal Ellenbogan finally ended his prey’s torment. “On your feet Morgandoofer! Full field pack and rifle outside in five minutes. You are running laps and for every second you are late getting your ass out of your barracks that’ll be five extra laps. Move it…Move it…MOVE IT!”

 

**_The Present_ **

“I ended up running until dinner.” Jake sighed, “And that was just my first day. It got worse from there. Every time I tried to fit in…’ He shook his head, “I tried out for the color guard, but got kicked out because I wasn’t good enough. I tried to put on a Leadership Platoon Reaction Course in my fourth year but failed.”

“Didn’t you have any friends at all there, Apa?” Elizaveta asked.

“Believe it or not…” Jake’s lips turned up in a warm smile, “I did. His name was Randy. He got sent to Stalag Buxton Ridge because he punched a hole in a wall or something like that. I guess he felt sorry for me or something…” Jake mused, “…because he never bullied or picked on me and he kept an eye out for me—stopped the worst of the bullying when he could. If it wasn’t for him…” Jake shook his head somberly, “…things would have been a lot worse than they already were.”

“Do you still keep in touch with him?” Elizaveta inquired with a curious look on her face.

Jake shook his head, “No. He went AWOL during our senior year and never returned. I haven’t heard from him since.” A frown then appeared on his face as he remarked, “I wish I had the guts to do what he did, except if I did, Mad Dog would have never let me forget it and I was determined that I was going to graduate just to throw it in his face that I did it—that I got through that hellhole he sent me to and it didn’t break me. Then…the old bastard pays my tuition to Middleton so I was able to get a deferment from the draft.” Shaking his head again, Jake pondered, “I’ve always wondered why he did that. Almost all the rest of my class went straight to Vietnam—I’m not sure if any of them made it back.”

“Haven’t you tried reaching out to them?” Elizaveta queried.

“Yeah.” Jake nodded his head. “I’ve sent out ads and posted on a few of those internet forums asking if there was anyone who graduated from Buxton Ridge while I went to school there and wanted to get together. Not for a reunion or anything silly like that…” He qualified, “But to find out if that place screwed up people other than me.”

“Have you gotten any responses?”

“No.” Jake shook his head somberly. “Either the people who went there aren’t around anymore or they don’t want to remember about their time there—and I can’t say as I blame them. I keep wishing I could forget.”

“I guess Daria, Quinn, and I are very fortunate.” Elizaveta stated as she got up from the table and hugged both her step-parents, “We’ve got an anya and apa who both love us.”

“Thanks, Sweetie.” Helen replied, returning Elizaveta’s hug as a tear formed in her eyes, “You don’t know how happy you just made me by saying that.”

“Yeah, kiddo.” Jake responded, also giving his step-daughter a hug, “That means a lot and we’re always going to love you three—and Angie as well. As far as we’re concerned, her and her mother are family too.”

“I’ll get everything cleaned up, dearie.” Helen declared as she began to pick up the empty glasses, “You go on up and get started on your school work. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day for you.’

“Yes, Anya.” Elizaveta responded as she made her way to the stairs, “I’ll see you later.”

 

“So…what happened with the essay?” Angie asked as she and Elizaveta walked down the hall to their lockers.

“You’re not gonna believe this!” Elizaveta laughed, “After Daria and I both shut her down when she tried to get us to write her essay, she actually wrote the damn thing and turned it in.”

“So…what did she get? D…F?” Angie grinned as the pair reached their lockers and opened them to transfer books for their afternoon classes.

“She got an A!” Elizaveta exclaimed in disbelief as Jodie rushed up to the girls clutching the next edition of the school newspaper that was to be published tomorrow in her hands.

“Here.” Jodie smirked as she handed the two blondes the paper, “This is what’s going to be in tomorrow’s school paper. I think you should read it.”.

“Why?” Elizaveta asked, “Is Ms. Li putting motion detectors in the utility closets now?”

“Not so loud!” Jodie quipped, “She might be listening in from a hidden microphone.” Her lips turning up in an ironic grin, she requested, “Turn it to the _Smart Thoughts_ column and read the essay there.”

“Ok.” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders as she shared the paper with her girlfriend. Turning to the section Jodie instructed her to, both blondes’ eyes widened in disbelief as they read the name of the title and author. “ _Academic Imprisonment_?” Elizaveta exclaimed in surprise.

“By Quinn Morgendorffer!” Angie also nearly shouted, “What the hell?”

“Mr. O’Neill published her essay.” Elizaveta shook her head as the two girls read the essay.

“You know…” Angie remarked with an almost shocked look on her face, “Leaving out all the proofreading and stylistic errors, it’s not that bad. Looks like Mr. O’Neill was doing her a favor by giving her that A though. I’d have given her a C…maybe C+ if I was in a good mood.”

“Yeah.” Jodie nodded her head in agreement. “I think Mr. O’Neill didn’t want her to fail the class.”

“Probably because he was afraid of anya.” Elizaveta snorted.

“Baby…I’ve seen your mother in a bad mood.” Angie laughed, “I’d be scared too if I were him!” Once again, she glanced at the essay and declared, “Still…she didn’t do a bad job.”

“That’s what’s so surprising.” Jodie commented as she retrieved her paper from the Barbies. “I didn’t think she could string two thoughts together—much less write a coherent essay.”

“Anya and I were talking about this not so long ago.” Elizaveta recalled, “Quinn’s not as dumb as she lets on. It’s just that she’s afraid of being labeled a ‘brain’ and losing popularity.”

“That’s stupid.” Jodie snorted, “Doesn’t she realize that you can be both popular and smart—it’s all in how you carry yourself.”

“As far as Quinn’s concerned, popularity revolves around fashion, dates, and maintaining Sandi Griffin’s approval.” Elizaveta grumbled.

“Well…” Angie replied, “…maybe this will show her that it’s ok to be smart and cute..” Seeing the dubious looks on the other two girls’ faces, she laughed, “Yeah…silly idea. Forget I mentioned it.”

“I wonder what Daria thinks of all this?” Jodie mused as Elizaveta let out a mournful sigh.

“I guess I’ll find out at dinner tonight.” Elizaveta moaned.

“Give me a call when the smoke clears, baby.” Angie consoled as she gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

“I have a feeling that by the time this is over, it’s going to be a full body massage sort of mess.” Elizaveta smirked as she returned her lover’s kiss.

“Baby…” Angie whispered in Elizaveta’s ear, “I promise you a massage with a very happy ending.”

 

Pinning her daughter’s essay to the refrigerator door, Helen cried out triumphantly, “There it is for all to see!”

“The Door of Honor.” Daria quipped sarcastically.

“Don’t you want to support your sister, Daria?” Jake asked, “Look at Elizaveta…she’s happy about it…right?”

“Of course, Apa.” Elizaveta responded with a slight smile, “I just hope she can keep it up.”

“She will if we all encourage her.” Helen urged as Quinn entered the kitchen. “So please…try to be supportive.”

“My daughter the genius!” Jake called out as Daria noticeably cringed while Elizaveta let out a slight sigh of exasperation.

“Our academic achiever!” Helen echoed, giving both Daria and Elizaveta imploring looks.

“Aren’t you proud of your sister Daria? Elizaveta?” Jake prompted.

“Sure.” Daria replied in a slightly caustic tone, “if you mean proud as in stunned.”

“You did a good job, Quinn.” Elizaveta stated, “Now can you do it again?”

“I’m sure she can, dear.” Helen interjected, “Right, Quinn?”

“Ummm…yeah.” Quinn airily replied and then launched into her pitch, “You know…while making you two happy…Mom…Dad…is the best reward I could ask for, when other kids get good grades, they sometimes get presents…”

“Of course, sweetheart!” Jake grinned as he fished a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to his younger daughter, ignoring the stern look his wife was giving him. “You get an A, you should be rewarded for it.”

“What about me?” Daria protested, “I get As all the time and I never get rewarded.”

“But this is a special case.” Jake protested as both Helen and Elizaveta exchanged looks with each other, “For motivation…you know…”

“But won’t that demotivate your other daughters?” Daria asked with a smirk on her face.

Shaking her head, Elizaveta declared, receiving in return a smile of gratitude from her step-mother and a slight scowl from her sister, “Leave me out of this.”

“Jake…” Helen cautioned only to be ignored once again by her well-meaning husband.

With a guilty look oi his face as he was forced to admit to himself that his older daughter was right, Jake took out another twenty, this time handing it to Daria. “I wasn’t finished! Daria deserves a consistent reward for her consistently good work.”

“Hey!” Quinn protested angrily as Jake once again took out a twenty, much to Helen’s chagrin. 

“And Quinn should have a special one-time reward for her one-time great effort!”

“What about a higher reward for maintaining excellence over a period of time?” Daria protested, “With compound interest…”

His frustration at his failure in reaching his daughters finally exploding, Jake threw down his wallet in defeat. “Here!” He cried out, “Take it all!” Then turning to his wife, he spat out in hurt and anguish as he got up from the table and made his way to the kitchen door, “I told you I’m no good at this parenting crap, Helen!”

Getting up from the table, Elizaveta asked in a quiet voice, “Can I be excused?”

“Yes, dear.” Helen replied in an equally soft tone. Once her husband and Elizaveta had safely exited the room, Helen turned her full fury on her two natural daughters as she snatched the wallet off the table before either Daria or Quinn could claim any more of its contents, “I hope you two got what you wanted!” She scowled before storming out of the kitchen as well.

“I got what I wanted.” Daria coolly muttered under her breath as both she and Quinn counted their haul.

 

Entering the living room, Elizaveta found her step-father already pouring a martini into a glass from the pitcher.

“Apa?”

“Hey, kiddo.” Jake sighed as he sat down on the couch, “If you’re looking for money…I’m afraid I’m all tapped out.”

“That’s not why I’m here.” Elizaveta replied as she joined her step-father on the couch and gave him a hug. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’ll be ok, dear.” Jake responded, trying in vain to sound upbeat. “I’m just no good at being a dad. My father wouldn’t have put up with what they did.”

“What would he have done?” Elizaveta asked as Helen who had just entered the living room, stood to the side of the door, unnoticed, quietly listening.

“He’d have taken a belt to both of them.” Jake responded angrily, “No one talked back to Mad Dog and got away with it!”

“Would you really have beaten Daria and Quinn?” Elizaveta inquired as she took Jake’s hand in hers.

“No.” Jake, lowering his head, shook it sadly, “And it makes me feel worse knowing I wanted to do that.”

“Wanting to do something bad and doing it are two different things.” Elizaveta said. “Your apa had trouble holding his temper and sometimes it made him do some pretty bad stuff. But you’re better…you keep that under control.” The young blonde sighed, “I need to do a better job of that. Maybe you can teach me how you do it.”

Chuckling, Jake replied as he hugged his step-daughter, “I just love you all…that keeps me from letting the Mad Dog come out.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Helen called out in a low voice as she approached, “I’ve got him now. You go on up and do your homework. I’ll be up to talk to you in a bit.”

“Ok, anya.” Elizaveta responded as she got up from the couch. “I’ll be in my room.”

 

“Damn.” Angie cursed over the phone as Elizaveta filled her in on the events that had just transpired. “How are you holding up?”

“Ok.” Elizaveta answered back. “I have a feeling things are going to get ratcheted up tomorrow at school though when that paper comes out and everyone reads that essay.”

“Yeah.” Angie affirmed, “Quinn’s going to find herself the center of attention, but not in the way she wanted it to be.”

“And Daria’s going to be enjoying every minute of it.” Elizaveta agreed.

“What about you, baby?” Angie asked, “What are your feelings about it?”

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta confessed. “Part of me is happy that Quinn’s at least using her brain, but…”

“But?”

“But I can’t blame Daria for feeling resentful at having her work ignored.”

“True.” Angie agreed, “And you…do you feel resentful?”

“A little.” Elizaveta admitted, “I didn’t take apa’s money out of any sense of being good or a saint.”

“Hell, honey tongue!” Angie laughed, “You’re anything but a saint! I found that out the first time we made love! You are one nasty girl!”

“Yeah…well….” Elizaveta chuckled, “I didn’t hear you complaining…”

“And you won’t baby and don’t you dare ever change.” Angie snorted, “But go on…you were saying…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, “I didn’t take it because…to be honest…I was pissed at Daria for trying to drag me into this. You know I don’t like being manipulated. And…” she confessed, “…they were taking advantage of apa’s generosity.”

“So, you went on and played Saint Elizaveta anyway.” Angie playfully teased.

“Ok…maybe.” Elizaveta admitted, as Helen, unknowingly to her, quietly entered the room. “But…I don’t think they know what apa went through when he was our age. I’ve talked to him and…. szereto…he’s so determined not to make the same mistakes his father makes that he often goes in the other direction. Sometimes…I feel like I’m being torn apart…” She began to sob.

“Sound like you need some quiet time, baby.” Angie remarked in a low voice, “Why don’t you see if you can stay over this weekend. You know my mom doesn’t care what we do as long as we’re discreet about it. I think maybe some time with just the two of us might be the thing you need. We can just take a walk in the park or maybe even rent some horses and go on a trail ride.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t think I’ve ever ridden a horse before.”

“Then, we’ve got to go trail riding, honey tongue!” Angie exclaimed with a playful laugh, “I promise, we’ll get you a nice mellow horse.

Elizaveta responded with a chuckle, “That sounds like a perfect weekend. I’ll asked anya. Well…I have to go now, szereto. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

As she set down the phone, Elizaveta recognized her step-mother at the door. “I’m sorry, Sweetie.” Helen apologized as she entered the room, “I couldn’t help but catch the last part of your conversation. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Of course not, Anya.” Elizaveta responded as she gestured for Helen to sit down on the chair next to her bed. “Is apa ok now?”

“Yes, dearie.” Helen responded with a smile, “And…thank you for staying out of what happened…and thank you for at least trying to be supportive of Quinn—I know that probably wasn’t easy for you. And…you’re right…both Jake and I sometimes try too hard to avoid making the same mistakes our parents made and…” She sighed dejectedly, “All too often, we make mistakes of our own.” Her lips then turned up in a wry grin, “Too bad there’s no really good guide to being a good parent. All you can do is try your best and when…not if…you screw up…try your best to make it right. Maybe you’ll find that out one day.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a quirky grin, “But I don’t think we need to worry about that any time soon.”

“Thank heaven!” Helen sighed in relief. “I know sometimes you feel caught in the middle when things get stirred up around here, but just do what you think is right. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. I have a feeling that while you might stumble sometimes, in the end, you’ll usually do the right thing. And yes…” Helen smiled, “…you can spend the weekend with Angie. Just have fun and if you go riding…be careful.” She chuckled, “I don’t want to see you laying around here all day with a cast because you broke your leg getting thrown from a horse.”

“I will.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Is there anything else?”

“No, Sweetie.” Helen shook her head, “I just wanted to make sure everything was all right. Good night.”

 

“Well…” Angie grinned as she and Elizaveta both read the most recent edition of the _Lawndale Lowdown_ , “Quinn’s famous now.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed as she pointed to a devastated Quinn standing in front of her locker with a shell-shocked look on her face. “The Js just broke the news to her. Looks like Daria’s read the paper too.” She added as she gestured with her head towards where Daria and Jane were talking and laughing quietly amongst themselves. She then changed the subject, “Anya said it was okay for me to stay over at your place this weekend.”

“Cool.” Angie grinned, “We’re going to have so much fun. You’re going to love horseback riding.” After a few moments, she stammered, “Ummm…I was thinking…. I cleared out a drawer and some closet space and Mom said we can set aside some space in the bathroom for your toiletries. If you want…you could bring over some of your stuff…you know…clothes and all and keep them at my place…it’d save you having to lug so much stuff when you stay over on weekends and all. And…you can bring some decorations that we can put up in my room…if you want to that is…”

“Thanks!” Elizaveta smiled as she gave Angie a tender kiss. “I’d love to and I’ll do the same for you. You can bring over some of your stuff and keep it in my room and I’m sure anya and apa won’t mind you keeping a toothbrush and toiletries in our bathroom and if you want to bring something of yours over to decorate…that’s cool too.”

“Great!” Angie grinned as she returned Elizaveta’s kiss. Then, as the bell rang, she quipped, “Well…they’re playing our song. We better get going. So…our usual bet?”

“You’re on.” Elizaveta laughed, “Kevin when DeMartino asks him about the Kennedy assassination.”

“I’m going with Brittany when he asks her about the Cuban Missile Crisis.” Angie chuckled.

Elizaveta smirked as the entered the classroom, pointing out the haggard appearance of their teacher as she whispered into her girlfriend’s ear, “Either way, it should be fun.”

 

After picking up their trays, the Barbies made their way to their usual table where Daria, Jane, Jodie, and Mack were already seated. Taking their seats, they heard Jane read from the Lowdown, “Like a hamster on one of those wheel things, school runs us around and around until we yearn for the food pellet. But only more homework awaits. It’s like she read my mind.” The artist sighed.

“Yeah…” Daria grumbled, “Right after you got whacked in the head by a two-by-four.”

“You know…” Angie grinned, “That’s actually not a bad analogy.”

Elizaveta replied with a smile on her face, “You’re right, szereto.” Then, speaking to her step-sister, she gently admonished, “Come on, Daria…you’ve got to admit…Quinn didn’t do a bad job.”

“Yeah, Daria.” Jodie interjected, “I mean…it’s nowhere near your level…but taking into account we’re talking about Quinn…it’s not bad.”

“It just shows what Quinn’s capable of if she really wants to do it.” Mack further commented, making Daria’s already bad mood even worse.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “She could do really well if she could only get her mind off of boys and fashion for a while.”

Just then, Elizaveta felt a nudge from her girlfriend. Turning, she recognized Quinn coming into the cafeteria wearing a ball cap and sunglasses. Not bothering to repress her giggle as her younger sister sat down next to Daria, the lovely blonde teased, “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else, Quinn…like class?”

“Shhh…I’m trying to keep a low profile since that damned paper came out.” Quinn pleaded.

Laughing, Daria jibed, “I don’t think you have to worry about anything. The Pulitzer Committee just finished eating.” She then smirked, “You know what they’re calling you now?”

“What?” Quinn cried out in alarm.

“Brains Morgendorffer.” Daria answered back with an evil grin on her face.

“No…” Quinn shook her head in shock and fear, “It was just one lousy essay!”

“That’s all it takes.” Daria quipped, rubbing salt into he wound as she pointed to the ‘Nerd Table’ where they were all laughing as one of the boys squirted milk out of his nose. “Behold the future!”

“Ewww! Quinn exclaimed as she covered her face.

“Last week they were trying out for football…” Jane teased, “And then they won one debate. That’s all it took.” She shook her head, faking sadness, “Now they’re branded for life.”

“No!” Quinn cried, “I can’t be a brain! All my friends will hate me!”

“Yeah…” Daria’s lips turned up in an evil grin as Elizaveta just sighed and covered her face with her palm, “But think of all the new friends you’ll meet in Chess Club!”

“Elizaveta…” Quinn begged, “Angie…help me! I don’t wanna be a brain! I want people to like me!”

“Quinn…” Angie said in a low voice as she felt her girlfriend tense up, “…I don’t think anyone’s going to confuse you for being a brain. Now…I think it’s a good idea for you to get out of here.”

“Ummm…ok…” The young redhead stammered as she quickly picked up on the danger signs coming from her blonde step-sister, “I gotta go now.”

“We better get going too.” Angie remarked as everyone picked up their trays. Then turning to her girlfriend, she asked in a low voice, “You okay?”

“Yeah…I’m fine.” Elizaveta replied with a slight grin. “Now you know what I’ve been dealing with all week.”

“We’re definitely going trail riding this weekend.” Angie declared as Kevin and Brittany approached them in the hallway, “You’ve earned it.”

“Hey, Angie…Elizaveta!” Kevin called out with a goofy grin on his face. “Guess what! Mr. O’Neill set it up where Quinn can tutor me in English so that I can stay on the football team! Isn’t that cool!”

“I could tutor you, Kevvie!” Brittany sobbed, “Isn’t that right, Angie?”

Knowing that her best friend was actually pretty good in English when she wanted to be, Angie nodded her head in agreement, “Yeah, Britt. Better than Quinn at any rate.”

“You see!” Brittany exclaimed angrily at her boyfriend, “You’re just doing this to get in her pants—you high school Casablanca!”

“No…babe!” Kevin protested as Daria and Jane joined the little group. “It’s all part of my plan…”

“Plan?” Angie asked with an amused look on her face, “Please…Kevin…tell us what you’re thinking.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smirked, “We want to know.”

“It’s for us, babe!” Kevin declared, “I’m gonna watch how a brain acts so that we can act that way and be cool too!”

“Oh, Kevvy!” Brittany gushed as she gave her boyfriend a kiss, “You’re so smart!”

Bringing her palm to her face, Elizaveta muttered in a low voice that only Angie and Daria could hear, “Someone shoot me now!”

“Only Quinn could turn being smart into being a thing.” Daria remarked sourly.

“Hey…don’t sweat it!” Jane exclaimed in an effort to cheer everyone up. “Today it’s brains. Tomorrow it’s pierced tongues, the next day it’ll be pierced brains.”

Quinn then passed them by in the hallway accompanied by her entourage, “So, Mr. O’Neill said it was okay for me to skip the rest of the class because I was catching on so fast.”

“Can I have that gun after you’re done with it?” Daria asked her sister.

 

“This ought to cheer you up, baby.” Angie grinned as the Barbies entered the Pizza King. “Pepperoni with mushrooms and extra cheese and a big cola to wash it down. My treat.”

“Thanks, szereto. I need it.” Elizaveta sighed as the pair picked up their orders and sat down in their usual booth. Taking a bite from her pizza, the lovely blonde remarked, “It’s been a long day.”

“And it’s not over yet.” Angie remarked as Daria and Jane walked into the restaurant. Motioning for the other two girls to join them, the platinum-blonde cheerleader inquired, “Here…you can have some of our pizza.”

“Thanks.” Jane replied as she and Daria sat down with the cheerleaders. “Daria’s had a rough day.”

“So…what’s gotten you down, Daria—as if we don’t already know.” Angie asked as she took a bite out of her pizza and washed it down with some soda.

“Mr. O’Neill told me I needed to ‘jazz up’ my writing and set me up with a tutor for a ‘mini-workshop’.” The auburn-haired teen grumbled. “Take three guesses as to who the tutor was.”

“Quinn.” Elizaveta shook her head.

“Yeah.” Daria nodded her head, “If I waned to write like her, I’d get some finger paints or giant crayons.”

“Well…give it a few days and it’ll all blow over.” Angie consoled as Jane nodded her head in agreement. “Something else will happen and everyone will forget all about Quinn’s leaking brains.”

Daria muttered as she munched down on her pizza, “I’ve got a feeling it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Just as she uttered those words, Quinn came in with her three followers. “I wrote a poem after lunch today.” She crowed as she held out a slip of paper.

“Hey…it’s my turn to read a poem!” He then snatched the poem just before his pals could grab it and began reading. “The greasy fry, it cannot lie. It’s truth is written on your thighs.”

“Wow, Quinn…” Jamie sighed, “That’s deep.”

“Deep shit.” Daria grumbled.

Angie then cleared her throat after she took a big drink from her soda. “I’ve got a poem. I drank too much of this. Now I’ve got to go and take a piss.”

Smiling at Angie’s joke, Daria stood up, “Come on, Jane. I’ve got to get out of here before I kill someone.”

“We need to be going too, szereto.” Elizaveta said as she gave her girlfriend a quick caress, “We’ve got homework to do.”

“Ok, baby.” Angie grinned, “After I go to the bathroom. I wasn’t kidding…I really do have to go pee.”

“Yeah…me too.” Elizaveta replied, “Let’s get the hell outta here.” 

 

The next morning at school, as the Barbies made their way down the hall to their locker, Angie exclaimed as she saw Quinn with the Js walking down the hallway going the other way, Quinn dressed in black with a black beret on her head, “What the hell? Who dug up the dead body of Allen Ginsberg and zombified it?”

Laughing, Elizaveta responded, “That’s Quinn’s new look. She told Daria that she’s going for something existential.”

“Bet that was the straw that broke the Camus’s back.” Angie smirked.

“Ouch!” Nikki, walking along with Lisa and Jeannette exclaimed as they joined the conversation, “I should hit you for that horrible pun.”

“What the hell’s going on here? Why are a lot of the freshie girls dressed in black and looking like refugees from Greenwich Village?” Lisa inquired.

“Don’t look at me!” Jeannette laughed, “I wasn’t the inspiration.” She shook her head, “Ever since Quinn got that mercy grade from O’Neill, she’s been acting like an even bigger jackass than usual. Got to hand it to Stacy and Tiffany though…they haven’t bought into it although they’re keeping their fronts up.”

“How are you and Stacy getting along now?” A concerned Elizaveta asked. 

“Well…we’re not best friends or anything like that, but we’re not enemies either.” Jeannette admitted, “I get along much better with Tiffany—when she can get away from the two barracudas, that is. But things have improved with Stacy. We just don’t talk about certain subjects.” Returning to the original subject, the young artist-cheerleader inquired, “So how’s Daria holding up?”

Laughing, Elizaveta responded, “How do you think? Last night, She called Quinn a pseudo-intellectual poser with accessories from the street fair. I don’t think Quinn even knew she was insulted.”

“Probably not.” Nikki smirked as they overheard Quinn’s next words.

“I just found out that poems don’t even have to rhyme. How easy is that. You know…I’m thinking about going into writing as a full time career. It’s not like real work or anything.”

“Looks like Daria overheard that.” Nikki remarked as she pointed towards an obviously irate Daria who had just laid her head down on her locker.

“Yeah.” Angie chuckled and then pointed to a very irate looking Sandi approaching with the Fashion Club trailing close behind her. “Looks like things are about to get interesting.” 

“Let’s listen in.” Elizaveta urged as both Tiffany and Stacy gave the two blondes conspiratorial winks.

“Yeah.” Nikki smirked, “This should be fun.”

“There’s a problem, Quinn.” Sandi announced in a haughty voice as both Stacy and Tiffany barely restrained their giggles, “We need to talk about your recent fashion faux pas.”

“What faux pas?” Quinn responded.

“It seems other girls are following your horrible example and dressing in black.” Sandi declared

“But dressing in black is a fashion statement!” Quinn protested. “It’s deep, meaningful, and slenderizing.”

“Not according to this!” Sandi declared as she held up an issue of _Waif_ magazine in the same manner as a priest presents the Gospel during Mass. “Eggplant is the current neutral.”

“I can’t help it if I have influence around here!” Quinn declared, “People admire me for my brains.”

“That’s not the way the Fashion Club works.” Sandi rebuked and then pronounced sentence, “You are officially ordered to take a fashion sabbatical until you get your priorities straight.” Turning on her heels, Sandi strode haughtily away with Stacy and Tiffany following close behind.

“Well…that was fun.” Nikki chuckled.

“Yeah…looks like Sandi left a mark.” Angie smirked as she pointed to a suddenly depressed looking Quinn.

“Looks like the show’s still going on.” Elizaveta remarked as Sandi approached Daria only to quickly scoot away without saying a word. “Wonder what Daria said to her?”

“Maybe she threatened her cat?” Angie quipped and then laughed, “Oh…this is gonna be good. Fashionista at three o’clock.”

Watching as Sandi, obviously putting on a front of bravado, approached, Elizaveta waited until the Fashion Club president drew close before speaking in a cool, slightly menacing voice as she arched her eyebrows, “Yes?”

“Ummm…uhhh…” Sandi stumbled.

Making a display of inspecting her nails as her fellow cheerleaders tried in vain to hold in their giggles, Elizaveta prompted with just a hint of irritation, “What is it? I don’t have all day. Besides…breathe too much of my air and you might get gay cooties.”

“Yeah.” Angie jibed, “You’ll wanna go down on the first girl you see.”

“Quaaaa…” Sandi mumbled and then turned and dashed away without saying a word.

“We scared the poor girl to death, baby!” Angie giggled as Nikki, Lisa and Jeannette all clutched each other laughing as the homeroom bell rang. “We better get going. See you all later!”

 

“So…we’ll swing by your house after school so you can pick up your stuff and then we’ll get you situated and then Saturday morning we’ll go to the stables…” Angie proposed as she and Elizaveta sat down with their trays at their usual table. “Oh…and don’t forget your swimsuit. There’s a lake on the greenhorn trail where we stop off at for a break that’s great for swimming. The water’s nice and cool.”

“Weekend plans?” Mack asked as he grimaced at the mystery meat on his tray.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied as she took a swig of juice. “We’re going horseback riding.”

“Cool.” Jodie grinned. “You do much riding?”

“I’ve been riding since I was six. Angie responded, “But this is Elizaveta’s first time.”

“Really?” Mack exclaimed

Nodding her head, Elizaveta responded, “Yeah. I’m just hoping I won’t fall off.”

“Don’t worry, baby.” Angie grinned, “I’ll catch you if you fall. Anyway, Mr. Barrows, the owner of the stable, won’t let you go until you’ve had some safety lessons and get used to being in the saddle. He’s really safety conscious. Even after he thinks you’re ready, we’re probably going to have to go on the group greenhorn ride that he leads for your first time out.”

“That’s good.” Mack nodded his head approvingly. “Better to not take chances.”

“I never knew you rode horses.” Jodie remarked, addressing the platinum-blonde cheerleader.

“Brittany knows.” Angie replied, “She rides at the same stable. So do Nikki and Lisa. Taking a deep breath, the platinum-blonde cheerleader confessed, “I’ve kept a lot of stuff about myself under wraps until recently. Like being gay—that’s the biggie right there—and the fact that I like to read and watch science fiction and fantasy and listen to jazz and all. You know how it is here…” She trailed as her eyes fell on the Nerd Table. “If I’d have come out my first day here and talked about Lost in Space and Star Wars and Babylon 5 and Ringworld, and Tolkien, and then, on top of that, told everyone I liked girls—I’d be sitting with them now—or by myself like Upchuck.”

“Not necessarily.” Mack shook his head, “Look at Jodie. Besides being gorgeous…”

Kissing her boyfriend on the cheek, Jodie said in a sultry voice, “For saying that, you get a special treat later.”

“Like I was saying…” Mack grinned, “Besides Jodie being gorgeous, she’s damned smart—and she’s not sitting at the Nerd Table.”

“They’re not there because they’re brains.” Nikki interjected as she joined the conversation, pointing to one of the boys who was at that moment doing his imitation of Animal House’s Bluto Blutarsky popping a zit, spewing the contents in his mouth all over his fellow nerds. “They’re over there because they haven’t left fifth grade yet—not because they’re on the debate team or chess club or whatever. And Upchuck’s sitting by himself because—well we know why he’s sitting by himself. Come on, Angie! You know us! Give us more credit than that!”

“I know…” Angie sighed, “And I’m sorry. It’s just…well I’ve always been kind of private…you know that.”

“Yeah.” Nikki smiled at her friend, “We know. Hell…we all have stuff we keep to ourselves.”

“So what made you decide to open up?” Jane, overhearing the last bit of the conversation, inquired as she sat down at the table.

“Elizaveta.” Angie responded as she gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze. “For the first time, I felt like I could be myself in front of her…and then in front of you all. If I hadn’t have met my baby…to be honest, I’d have just stayed low and played my part as cheerleader until after I graduated.” 

“Like Tiffany and Stacy are playing their parts.” Jodie remarked in a low voice.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “I’m just hoping that one of these days, they’ll be able to tell Sandi and Quinn to take their bullshit and shove it where the sun don’t shine.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader then asked, “So…where’s Daria?”

“She decided she needed some time to herself.” Jane sighed. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but…after hearing what Angie was saying about cliques and groups and all, I think Daria’s feeling upset because Quinn’s taking the identity that she’d made for herself away from her.”

“A lot of this is just Quinn getting under Daria’s skin.” Elizaveta declared, “Or at least that’s how it started.”

Jane nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah. I had a run in with the Princess earlier and she told me something similar to that, but now she’s worried that it’s getting out of hand.”

“That little set-to with Sandi probably got her thinking.” Angie speculated and then asked, “So, what’s Daria going to do?”

“We talked about it last night.” Jane admitted, “She says she knows what she’s got to do, but she doesn’t want to do it. A little while ago, I saw the Js begging her to ‘bring Quinn back!’ So whatever Daria’s got planned, it’s probably going to happen this weekend.”

Elizaveta nodded her head, “I don’t think it’s going to be anything really bad…”

“So…no need to bring out the hazmat suits?” Jodie snarked.

“Nah.” Jane chuckled, “Quinn’s looking to get out of this as much as Daria is—it’s just that she’s too proud to back down to Sandi or Daria. So…in a way…” The artist smirked, “Daria’s doing Quinn a favor—although neither one of them will admit it.”

“Well…” Angie quipped as everyone finished their lunches, “I guess we’ll find out this weekend.”

 

“Ready to go, baby?” Angie called out as she entered Elizaveta’s room. “Your dad let me in.”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled, “I’m just finishing packing.”

“Great! Mom’s cooking her pot roast tonight and then I was thinking…. I still owe you that full body massage…”

“Hmmmm…” Elizaveta purred as she kissed her lover. “I can’t wait.”

“Then get done with your packing so we can get the hell outta here!” Angie laughingly commanded as Elizaveta closed her suitcase. “And don’t forget to bring that consent form I gave you for your folks to sign. If you don’t have it, Mr. Barrows won’t let you ride.”

“I got it.” Elizaveta smiled as she held up the signed form, “Let’s go!”

As the pair got into Angie’s car and pulled out of the driveway, Angie joked, “I hope you’re a morning person. We’ve got to be at the stables at seven tomorrow so that you can get your lessons done in time for the trail ride. You did remember your swimsuit—right?”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled.

“Good.” Angie grinned, “When you get better at riding and we’re able to go out together by ourselves on the advanced trails, there’s a little swimming hole no one knows about that I discovered a few years back. We won’t need swimsuits there. We can go skinny dipping and then just lie out in the sun.”

“Sounds great.” Elizaveta sighed, “Right now, I’m just glad to be out of the house.” She further explained, “Whatever Daria’s got planned is happening tonight. She kind of gave me a hint last night that she might have some company coming over that’s guaranteed to get Quinn’s notice.”

“I guess we’ll hear about how it all goes down on Monday.” Angie remarked, “So let’s forget all about school this weekend. Let’s just focus on having fun—right?”

“Works for me.”

 

“Time to get up, honey tongue.” Angie purred as she showered kisses on her slumbering girlfriend. 

“Still dark out.” Elizaveta grumbled as she buried her head in her pillow.

“Mom’s fixing breakfast and we’ve got to get to the stables by seven.” Angie murmured, giving her lover even more kisses. “If you hurry up…” she teased, “…you can join me in the shower.”

“That worked.” Elizaveta muttered as she threw off her cover, “C’mon.”

“Race ya!” Angie teased as she took off for the shower.

“Cheater!” Elizaveta laughed, “You got a head start!”

“Hurry up and get dressed and get on down here girls!” Jessica Harmon called out as the two blondes were drying themselves off. “You don’t want your breakfast to get cold.”

“Be down in a moment, Mom!” Angie called back as the two girls quickly dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Minutes later, the pair came down the stairs together, their mouths watering as the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, along with bacon and eggs filled the kitchen. “Smells good.” The lovely platinum-blonde then eyed the full coffee pot. “Coffee!” She sighed in relief as she made her way to the pot and poured three mugs, one of each of the women in the kitchen. Putting cream and sugar in hers and just cream in Elizaveta’s, she left her mother’s mug black as she handed the mugs to her mother and girlfriend.

“Thanks, dear.” Jessica smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Go on ahead and dig in. You’ve got a big day today. You’re gonna need the calories.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Harmon.” Elizaveta smiled as she sat down at the table with her lover and Jessica. Taking a bite from her plate, she exclaimed, “This is so good!”

“I’m glad you like it, dear.” Jessica grinned. “So…you’re going over to Danny’s stable today?”

“Yeah, Mom.” Angie grinned, “This’ll be Elizaveta’s first time riding.”

“Well, Danny’ll make sure you’re ready before he turns you loose. He’s always been very careful.” Jessica nodded her head. “You girls eat your fill and have a good time today.”

“What are you doing today, Mom?” Angie asked.

“Doing some volunteer work at the church today.” Jessica replied. “The annual rummage sale’s coming up in a couple of weeks…” She then flashed a quick smile, “We could always use a couple of extra volunteers during the sale…”

Seeing her girlfriend nod her head in agreement, Angie laughed, “All right, Mom! We’ll help out.”

“I knew I could count on you.” Jessica grinned, “More coffee?”

“Always, Mom!” Angie exclaimed as she held out her mug. “Fill ‘er up!”

After they had finished their breakfast, Jessica motioned towards the door. “You girls better get going if you’re going to make it to the stable on time. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll clean up this time. Now scoot! And tell Danny hi from me and I’ll see him in church on Sunday.”

“Ok, Mom!” Angie grinned as she and Elizaveta made for the door, “See ya later!

“Bye, Mrs. Harmon.”

 

After driving for about an hour, Angie turned down a dirt road that led to an open gate with an arch. Painted on the top of the wooden arch was a circle with a B inside it. “Circle B Stables.” Elizaveta read as they drove through the gate and down the dirt road. After a few minutes, they came to a stable where a white F-150 Ford pickup truck with Maryland plates and three bumper stickers on it. One of the bumper stickers read “Gig ‘em Aggies” while another one read VFW Post 93, and another one was a Bob Dole bumper sticker from the last election.

“Mr. Barrows is already here.” Angie grinned, “He’s probably been here since about five this morning. Parking the car, she exclaimed, “C’mon, baby. Let’s go. You’re gonna like Mr. Barrows.” Just then, a red jeep pulled up. Moments later, Kevin and Brittany emerged. “Britt? I didn’t know you were going riding today. Why didn’t you tell us? We could have gone together.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Brittany, wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of her usual cheerleader uniform, grinned as she and Kevin approached. “Kevin’s been wanting to learn how to ride a horse so I said he could come along. You don’t think Mr. Barrows will mind do you?”

“It should be ok.” Angie replied and then turned to her girlfriend, “Looks like you won’t be the only greenhorn today.” Then, addressing Kevin, who was still wearing his football jersey, Angie inquired, “Kevin? Have you ever been on a horse before?”

“No.” The quarterback responded with a childlike grin on his face. “But it can’t be that hard. I mean you and Britt ride all the time.”

“Kevin.” Angie sighed as she pleaded, “Just promise you’ll do what Mr. Barrows tells you to do and don’t try to do anything fancy—ok? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Ok.” Kevin moaned, “I promise.”

“Good.” Angie sighed in relief, “We better get in. Mr. Barrows is waiting.” As the foursome walked towards the stables, Angie pulled Brittany to the side. “Britt? Do me a favor and keep an eye on your boyfriend. I know you know how to ride, but I don’t want to see him hurt.”  
“Ok, Angie.” Brittany answered back with a smile, “I promise.”

As they entered the stable office, they were met by a thin man with dark hair and thick mustache and puffing on a pipe. “Howdy.” He called out as the foursome walked into the office, “How are two of my favorite girls doing?”

“Just fine, Mr. Barrows.” Angie and Brittany both responded with wide grins on their face. 

Seeing the newcomers, the stable owner’s smile grew wider, “Who are ya’ll’s friends?”

“This is Kevvy, my boyfriend.” Brittany exclaimed as the man held out his hand for the quarterback to shake.

“Pleasure to meet ya, young man.” Danny declared, giving the quarterback a firm handshake that Kevin, to his credit, held without wincing or flinching.

“And this is Elizaveta.” Angie said, introducing her girlfriend.

“Howdy, young lady..” The stable owner said, taking Elizaveta’s hand in hers and gently shaking it. “I know Angie and Britt know what they’re doing—but what about you two?” He inquired, “Ever been on a horse before.”

“No, Sir.” Elizaveta quietly responded.

“No, Sir.” Kevin answered back with a goofy grin, “I can’t wait to go and round up some cattle and all!”

“Whoa there, boy!” Danny interrupted, raising his hand in a halt gesture. “Let’s take this one step at a time. Gotta learn to crawl before you walk. Before we get started, I need those consent forms Angie and Brittany gave ya’ll to get your parents to sign.”

“Here, Sir.” Elizaveta responded as she handed over the contract that Helen and Jake had signed earlier in the week.

“What about you, son?” The stable owner asked Kevin.

“I forgot.” The quarterback moaned.

“Kevvy!” Brittany exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, “I told you that you had to get your folks to sign it before you could ride.”

“I’m sorry, babe…but I can still ride anyway, right. I mean they said it was okay to go riding.”

“No, son.” Danny shook his head, “I ain’t letting you on a horse without that consent form signed by your folks. I ain’t about to risk you getting hurt. You can ride on the chuckwagon with Debbie and Cookie.”

“All right!” Kevin grinned as he sat down in one of the chairs. “I get to go on the chuckwagon! Yee Haw!”

Turning to Elizaveta, the stable owner smiled, “Everything seems to be in order here, Missy. We’ll get started with your lessons in just a little bit. I just gotta wrap up some paperwork here and we’ll be ready to start. Won’t take long and you’ll be ready to ride on the greenhorn trail.”

Noticing the pictures on the wall: the first one of Mr. Barrows with a dark haired woman and young boy, another of the stable owner and the same woman, only more recent, yet another picture of a young man wearing a cadet’s uniform and then lastly, what looked like a young Danny Barrows, kneeling down in the front row of a group picture with several other young men, all wearing olive-drab military fatigues, Elizaveta inquired, “Family?”

“Yeah.” The stable owner replied with a warm smile. The first one was done when Danny Jr. was ten. The pretty woman standing next to me is the Missus. The young man there…that’s Danny Jr. too.” He said proudly, “He’s graduating this year from Texas A & M in the top ten percent of his class with a civil engineering degree. He’s also getting his second lieutenant’s commission in the Army.” Shaking his head, Danny’s voice, while still reflecting pride in his son, also carried a note of concern, “Boy could have picked any branch in the Army he wanted, but he had to be like his old man and go air-cav. I tried to talk him out of it…” He said, his voice softening, “But, like the Boss says, he’s as pig-headed as me.”

“And the last picture?” Elizaveta gently inquired.

“That’s me and my platoon.” Danny replied, “1st Platoon. A Company. First Cavalry Division. Just before we shipped off to ‘Nam.”

“Our history teacher served in Vietnam…” Elizaveta trailed only to be interrupted by Danny, flashing a friendly smile.

“Tony De? Yeah I know him. He belongs to the same VFW post I do. He’s a good man. He went through stuff over there.” Danny shook his head somberly, “We all did. Ain’t my place to tell you what he went through. It was different for all of us and we all came out of it in different ways. Some of us…” He again shook his head, “Had…and still are having…a rougher time of it than others.”

“Tony De?” Elizaveta gingerly probed.

“Yeah.” Danny chuckled, “We call him Tony De because we got another Tony at the post—a retired New York City cop living in Oakwood now. We call that guy Tony the Mouth because…well…like I said…we all came out of that place in different ways.” Changing the subject, he suggested, “Britt? Why don’t you get saddled up and take your boyfriend over to the chuckwagon and introduce him to the Missus and Cookie.”

“Yes, Sir.” Brittany politely responded as she grabbed her boyfriend by the wrist, pulling him up out his chair, “Come on, Kevvy. I told you not to forget to have your folks sign that damned paper.” She growled, chewing her boyfriend out as she practically dragged him out of the office.

Chuckling under his breath, Danny turned to Angie and Elizaveta, “Why don’t you two go on out to the stables with Brittany. I’ll be along shortly.”

“Ummm…Mr. Barrows…” Angie cleared her throat, “Can I talk to you for a moment…there’s something I need to tell you…”

“It’s ok, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered, “I’ll be outside when you’re done.”

“Thanks.” Angie whispered back as turned her attention back to the stable owner.

“What is it you want to talk to me about, Angie?” Danny asked as he motioned for the young teen to have a seat on the office couch. 

“Ummm…” Angie took a deep breath and exhaled, “I was wondering what you thought about people of the same sex being…involved…with each other.”

“Hmmm…” The stable owner murmured as he relit his pipe and took another puff. “The Good Book says it’s wrong…” He said and then added, “But it also says that we ain’t supposed to judge people ‘cause if we do, we’re gonna be judged ourselves by the Man Upstairs the same way we judge them. Now…if’n you’re wanting to know if it’s gonna change my opinion of someone I know…then no…it ain’t. Especially…” he declared with a wink, “…if that someone is someone I’ve known ever since she was knee-high to a grasshopper.”

“Thank you.” Angie sighed with relief. “I was kinda…”

“Worried I’d freak out?” Danny chuckled and then, his laughter fading away, said as he took another puff on his pipe, “Look…I ain’t gonna begin to say I understand why you’d rather be with girls instead of boys, but I’ve known you and your momma and your daddy, God rest his soul, ever since you were six and you and your momma go to the same church me and Debbie go to—even though we ain’t seen you there in a long time…” He commented with a wink and a grin, “What I’m trying to say is…you gotta live your life the way you think is right for you. Ain’t mine or anyone else’s place to tell you otherwise.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barrows.” Angie smiled, “I guess I just needed to hear you say that.”

“Anytime, Angie.” The stable owner grinned back, “Now…why don’t you go on and join that girlfriend of yours outside. I’ll be out in a bit and we’ll get started.”

Tamping the tobacco in his pipe down, Danny relit it and took a puff as he began to file the forms sitting on his desk. _Hope she makes you happy, Angie_. He thought quietly to himself as he puffed, _You and your momma deserve all the happiness you can get_.

“This here’s Sadie, Elizaveta.” Mr. Barrows said as he led out a brown American quarter horse with a black mane. “She’s real gentle and used to new riders. Why don’t you go over and say Hi to her.”

“Give her this, baby.” Angie said as she handed her girlfriend a carrot stick. “Remember what Mr. Barrows said. Just walk up to her nice and easy and don’t make any sudden moves. She’s a sweetie, but she can still be startled.”

“Ok, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as she slowly approached the mare and then cautiously offered her the carrot. “She likes it.” Elizaveta grinned.

“Of course she does.” Danny remarked with a grin. “Now, go on ahead and pet her on her withers just like I showed you. That’s it.” He nodded his head approvingly. “She likes you. Now…I’m gonna show you how to put on her bridle and saddle. We don’t use Spanish bits here.” He declared, “They’re rough on the horse. We use snaffle bits for most of our horses. We also use Western saddles mostly although we got a thoroughbred that can only take an English saddle.”

“I’m going to go ahead and get Lightning ready.” Angie declared as Danny nodded his head.

Several minutes later, Angie emerged from a stall leading a beautiful appaloosa gelding already saddled as Brittany was also leading her horse, a palomino Morgan mare. “This is Lightning.” Angie declared, introducing her horse. 

“And this is Lilly.” Brittany grinned as she led her horse out.

“Angie’s the only one other than me and Danny Jr. when he’s home who rides Lightning.” Danny explained, “He won’t let anyone else get on him. And Lilly belongs to Brittany. Her daddy pays the stable rental.” Leading out the horse he had readied, a black Arabian gelding named Spirit, the stable owner suggested, “The rest of the riders’ll be getting here soon, so I’m thinking it’d be a good idea for ya’ll to limber up your horses in the corral. Walk and slow trot only.” He instructed, “Elizaveta…you ride between me and Angie for the first couple of laps at least. Then we’ll see about you doing a lap with just Sadie while we watch.”

“Ok.” Elizaveta grinned as they led their mounts into the corral.

“Ok, Elizaveta…get on up like we taught you. That’s it.” He nodded his head approvingly as Elizaveta placed her foot in the stirrup and then climbed up into the saddle. A little rough…” He chuckled, “But you’ll get better. Don’t put your feet all the way into the stirrup.” He cautioned, “You just want your toes and the balls of your feet in. That way, if you get thrown and the horse takes off, it won’t drag you.”

“Yes, Sir.” Elizaveta answered back as she whispered to her mount, receiving in return a neigh, “You’re not going to throw me, are you Sadie?” Hearing the neigh, she muttered, “I hope that means you’re not and that you didn’t just laugh at me.”

 

After doing several laps in the corral, where they were joined by the other trail riders also limbering up their mounts, Danny called out, “All right folks, let’s get ready to go. We’re taking the greenhorn trail, so keep it to a walk. We’ll break for lunch at the lake where ya’ll can go swimmin’ if you want, and then we’ll head back. We should be home by evening.” Turning to the chuckwagon, with Kevin sitting in the front with a big smile on his face and a little boy sitting between him and Mrs. Barrows, who was holding the reins, the stable owner called out, “Move ‘em on out, Honey!”

“Giddy up!” Debbie called out as she used the reins to signal the horses to move.

As the chuckwagon lurched forward, Danny called out to the riders, who were riding two-by-two, “Forward, Ho!”

Joining Brittany at the front with Angie riding beside Elizaveta, Danny remarked as he gestured with his head towards the chuckwagon. “That boy of yours seems to get along pretty good with kids, Britt. It’s good seeing Bobby smilin’ and laughin’.” Seeing the questioning look on Elizaveta’s face, the stable owner explained, “Bobby’s our foster kid. We took him in after he was left at the fire station a few months ago. When they found him…” He shook his head, “He had all sorts of bruises and welts on him. We’re wanting to adopt him whenever Child Services gives us the go ahead.”

“My anya found me too.” Elizaveta sighed as she recounted the story of how Helen had found her by the side of the road.

“And you have no idea where you came from or who your folks are?” Danny asked.

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “I remember my name and I see faces in my dreams. Some of them I know better than others.”

“Like Jadzia.’ Brittany interjected.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “But most of it’s still a blank.”

“It’s okay, baby.” Angie cooed gently, “You’ll remember one day.”

“I know.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a sweet smile, “But until then. I’ve got a home with good parents and sisters…”

“Who can sometimes be a handful!” Angie chuckled as first Elizaveta, and then Brittany and Danny, joined in the laughter.

They rode for a couple of hours talking and laughing with each other until they reached the lake. Holding his hand up, Danny ordered the riders to halt. “Okay, everyone. Dismount and tie your horses at the hitching post over there.” He directed, pointing to the hitching post. “Tie ‘em good. Your horse gets loose…you gotta go get it!” Watching as the group walked their horses to the post where there was also a trough where the horses could drink, Danny called out. “You girls can change over there in that shack. Kevin…you can change in the shack over there. By the time you’re done, Debbie and Cookie’ll have your grub ready for ya.” After everyone had tied their horses and made their way to the changing shacks, Danny walked over to the horses and, after making sure they were tied up properly, walked over and joined his wife.

“Good to see so many young people out today.” Debbie grinned as she handed her husband a burger. “Who’s the blonde girl with Angie?”

“Her name’s Elizaveta.” Danny replied with a smile, “She’s Angie’s girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend as in girl friend or girlfriend as in ‘girlfriend’?” Debbie inquired.

“Girlfriend as in they’re involved with each other.” Danny answered back, “Angie told me she was gay this morning.”

“That couldn’t have been easy for her.” Debbie remarked as she took a bite of potato salad. “What did you tell her?”

“Told her what I thought.” Danny replied as he took another bite of his hamburger, “Told her I didn’t understand it all, but that it weren’t my place to judge her and that it weren’t gonna change my opinion of her none.”

“Good.” Debbie smiled as she gave her husband a peck on the cheek. “I’ve always liked her and her momma and Elizaveta looks like a good girl.”

 

“Angie?” Brittany asked as she began to change out of her clothes and into her swimsuit, “You don’t think I’m stupid do you?”

“No, Britt.” Angie responded as she also began changing, “Why are you asking me that?”

“I know I don’t do too good in school.” The blonde cheerleader confessed as she began to tear up. “I try hard, but…”

“Brittany…” Angie interrupted as Elizaveta stayed quiet, giving the two friends their privacy, “You do okay in English…I think you could do better if you wanted to, but you do okay. And you do really good in PE…”

“But I’m always failing history and science and math and all. Mr. DeMartino and Ms. Barch scare me and I can’t understand what Ms. Bennett’s talking about when she puts all those diagrams up on the board. I just get confused.” Brittany sobbed, “And now that everyone seems to only like people who are smart, I’m afraid people won’t like me anymore.”

“Brittany…” Angie sighed as she gave her best friend a warm hug, “Mr. DeMartino’s bark is worse than his bite. Just pay attention in class and keep up with the homework and you’ll do okay with him. As for Ms. Barch…you don’t have to worry about passing her class as long as you have a vagina and turn in your assignments on time. Hell, Mack should be getting Bs in that class and he’s struggling to keep a C. And Upchuck should be getting As and he’s just holding on with a B. As for Ms. Bennett, I don’t think anyone understands her diagrams. All you gotta do in her class is read the book and do the assignments and you should get at least a C. That’s the big thing with you, Britt. You’re not stupid. It’s just that you let other things distract you. You gotta learn to set them aside until you get your work done. And don’t worry about all that stuff going around school. I got a feeling that when we get into school on Monday, it’ll all have blown away.”

“You really think so?” Brittany asked, her lips now turning up in a big toothy grin.

“Yeah.” Angie smiled back, “I got it from a good source…” She said as she gave her girlfriend a wink, “That someone is getting ready to take care of that problem for us.”

“I hope you’re right!’ Brittany replied as she finished changing, “I’ll see you two at the lake!”

“You ready, baby?” Angie asked as she turned to her girlfriend who had also just finished changing.

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled, “Come on…I’m ready for a swim.”

 

After their swim and a hearty meal of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and homemade potato salad and sweet iced tea, the three girls set towels down and then laid out in the sun as Kevin tossed a football back and forth to Bobby, while Mr. Barrows sat down under a shade tree next to his wife puffing contentedly on his pipe.

“Pretty day today.” Angie said as she looked at the clouds.

“Yeah, it is.” Elizaveta sighed and then chuckled softly as she heard Brittany’s quiet snores. “Looks like someone decided to take a nap.”

“Yeah.” Angie giggled, “Thankfully we’ve all got sunscreen on.” After a few moments of thought, the platinum-blonde teen remarked, “You know all this stuff going on this week with Quinn and all and Daria getting upset because she feels like her identity is being taken away from her got me thinking.”

“About what, szereto?” Elizaveta prompted gently.

“About the way I was…the way I could have been…and the way I am now.” Angie responded. “You remember what we talked about at lunch earlier this week?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Elizaveta replied as she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand.

“It made me realize just much we label each other.” Angie mused, “We’re jocks or cheerleaders, or brains or fashionistas or whatever and for a while I was happy just being a cheerleader and would have gladly stayed that way.”

“But now?”

“Now…” Angie’s lips turned up in a sweet smile as she squeezed Elizaveta’s hand, “I’m Angie. A girl who just happens to like cheerleading and dancing and reading and listening to jazz music and…oh yes…who’s also gay and in love with the most wonderful girl in the world.”

“And I’m the luckiest girl in the world because the most wonderful girl in the world who I love more than anything else is in love with me.” Elizaveta replied.

“The thing is…” Angie declared with a smile, “I don’t think of myself as belonging to a category anymore and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’m me.”

“That’s good enough for me.” Elizaveta replied as she brought Angie’s palm to her lips and gently kissed it.

After about an hour or so, Danny stood up and called out to everyone. “All right everyone. Let’s get everything cleaned up and get your horses and mount up. Time to head back to the barn.”

“Come on, Britt.” Angie nudged her friend awake, “Time to go.”

“Oh…” Brittany muttered, “Did I miss anything.”

“No, Britt.” Angie smiled as she and Elizaveta rose to their feet, “Come on.” She urged as she helped her friend to her feet, “We gotta get our stuff together and get our horses and get ready to go.”

 

After the riders had returned to the stables and cooled off and cleaned their mounts, all under the watchful eyes of Danny and Debbie, Kevin and Brittany said their goodbyes as Angie and Elizaveta joined the Barrows in the stable office.

“Hope you had a good time, Elizaveta.” Danny smiled.

“It was great!” Elizaveta exclaimed, “I can’t wait until I can go riding again.”

“Looks like I got us a convert, Mr. Barrows.” Angie grinned.

“You’re welcome anytime, Missy.” The stable owner smiled as he handed Elizaveta some papers. “While we rent horses by the day, we also have a special leasing program where you can lease the use of a horse for three months at a time. You get first priority for riding that horse as long as you keep the lease up.” He explained, “Now…I can start you off with Sadie, but I want to move you up to another horse as soon as possible ‘cause I like to keep her for greenhorns. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great, Sir.” Elizaveta responded with a wide grin, “Of course I’ve got to get my anya and apa’s approval.”

“That’s right.” Danny nodded his head. “If they’re okay with it, then just have them read and sign these papers and you or them can bring ‘em over, and we can get you set up. All right?”

“Yes, Sir.” Elizaveta smiled as she took Danny’s hand. Then, after taking a folder containing the papers from the stable owner, she and Angie turned to leave, calling back as they walked out the door. “Thanks! We had fun!”

Watching as the girls walked away, Danny nodded his head as he refilled his pipe. “They’re good girls.”

 

“Told you that you’d have fun, honey tongue.” Angie grinned as she and Elizaveta drove back to her house. “Hope you’re not completely tuckered out…” She leered, “We’ve still got tonight…”

“I think I’ve got enough energy.” Elizaveta answered back in a husky voice as she gently caressed her girlfriend’s thigh.

 

The weekend over, Angie brought Elizaveta back to the Morgendorffer house. “I had a great weekend, baby.”

“I did too, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she kissed her girlfriend goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, baby.”

Entering her house, Elizaveta at once spotted her step-parents sitting on the couch watching the television. Calling out, “Anya…apa! I’m back!” The young blonde walked over to Helen and Jake, giving both of them kisses on their cheeks.

“You have a good time, kiddo?” Jake asked as he and his wife made room on the couch in between them where Elizaveta could sit.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta responded, “I had fun. In fact…” She took a deep breath as she took out the folder, “Mr. Barrows has a program where we could lease a horse for three months at a time. I’ve got all the details here.” She said as she handed the folder to Helen.

Perusing the contents of the folder, Helen nodded her head. “It all seems ok, but sweetie…the lease is for three hundred dollars for every three months. It’s kind of expensive.”

“Well…” Elizaveta took a deep breath as she made her pitch, “I’ve got quite a bit of allowance money saved and I was thinking about getting a part-time job over the summer.”

“Hmmm…” Helen vocalized as she pondered the issue for several moments, “I think it’s very mature of you to want to contribute towards this and to take out a summer job to help pay for it. Ok…here’s the deal: For every dollar you put in, we’ll put in two dollars. That means that if you put in a hundred dollars, we’ll pay for the rest. Now, for your first three months, we’ll make it a little easier. You contribute fifty dollars and we’ll foot the rest of it.”

“Thanks, anya…apa!” Elizaveta squealed as she hugged her step-parents. “I’ve got the fifty saved up now. I can give you that and still have enough money in my savings account for emergencies and all.”

“All right, dearie.” Helen grinned as she signed the paperwork. “I’ll bring this to the stable this coming weekend. I’d like to meet the owner and look over the premises.”

“Okay, anya.” Elizaveta replied, “I know you’re gonna like him and he’s known both Angie and Brittany since they were little girls.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head approvingly. “He’s been here for a while and has a good reputation. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“Where’s Daria and Quinn?” Elizaveta then asked, changing the subject. 

“They’re up in their rooms.” Helen responded with a sigh.

“Is Quinn still dressed in black?”

“No. Thank God!” Helen laughed, “I don’t know what Daria did, but whatever she did got her sister to quit wearing that outfit.” She then let out a sigh, “Now…if only she’d understand that she doesn’t have to look smart to be smart…that all she has to do is be herself…then we’d be set.”

“And all Daria has to do is realize the same thing in reverse.” Elizaveta replied as her step-mother nodded her head in agreement.

“Give ‘em time, honey.” Jake interjected encouragingly. “Just give ‘em time.”

 

“Well…looks like everything’s back to normal again.” Angie remarked as she and Elizaveta walked down the hall together.

“Yep.” Elizaveta responded and then added with a grin, “Anya said it was okay for me to lease the horse.”

“That’s great, baby!” Angie exclaimed, “When school ends, Mr. Barrows likes to take a group off for an overnight camping trip with the horses. It’s a lot of fun!”

“I can’t wait, szereto.” Elizaveta replied as Brittany approached the pair with a big grin on her face.

“You were right, Angie!” Brittany squealed with joy, “Everything’s back to normal again and everyone likes me!”

“That’s good, Britt.” Angie answered back with an indulgent smile, “I told you everything would work out.” As her friend practically skipped away, the platinum-blonde cheerleader noticed a morose looking Daria talking with Jane. “Looks like not everyone got what they wanted.” 

“Yeah.” Elizaveta answered back, “Daria got her identity back, but she forgot about the rule of unintended consequences.”

Angie nodded her head in agreement. “That identity she created for herself is stopping her from being herself. Kind of ironic.”

“How are you feeling, szereto?” Elizaveta asked with a warm smile on her face as she already knew the answer.

“Free.” Angie smiled back. “I feel free. I’m me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I came up with the character of Danny Barrows, the stable owner, I envisioned him being played by Sam Elliott as he looked when he played Col. Buford in the movie Gettysburg.


	21. Yearbook Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I"d like to thank WRabbit7 for his kind permission in allowing me to use his interpretation of "Burnout Girl" in this story. I'd also like to thank him for the use of Jennifer and her sister, Samantha in a small--but pivotal moment in the next story.

“I heard about your video project for Mr. O’Neill’s class.” Ms. Defoe said as she lunched with two of her favorite dancers, Elizaveta and Angie. “Timothy described it as a ‘slice of Americana.’” She laughed.

“It was a lot of fun…but it was also a lot of hard work.” Elizaveta replied with a grin. “I didn’t know working on a horse ranch was so difficult.”

Chuckling, Angie quipped as she teased her girlfriend, “I told you, baby. But you didn’t listen—did you.”

“No I didn’t.” Elizaveta mock pouted, “We were working from before the sun rose until after it set.”

“We took turns helping out and filming.” Angie continued, “I really enjoyed the interview at the end though.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement. “I never knew Mr. Barrows had someone from his father’s side of the family who was a US Marshal in the Old West.”

“You know…” Angie admitted, “A lot of times Mr. O’Neill’s assignments are a little goofy…sorry, Ms. Defoe…” The platinum-blonde cheerleader chuckled as Claire tried to hide the smile wanting to appear on her face, “…but they are. But this assignment…I have to admit…I learned a lot.”

“Good.” Claire nodded her head approvingly. “Creativity can be expressed in many different ways. Don’t ever be afraid to experiment and push your limits.” Then, as the bell rang, she grinned, “Okay, girls…you better get on to class. I’ll see you at dance practice after school. We’ve got a lot of work to do. The end of school recital’s coming soon.”

 

“Hey, Elizaveta!” 

Quickly turning about, Elizaveta at once recognized Jodie as she walked quickly towards where the blonde Hungarian stood next to her locker. “What’s up, Jodie?”

“Where’s your other half?” Jodie teased.

“Bathroom.” Elizaveta smirked, “She should be back in a moment.”

Opening her locker and replacing her books, Jodie queried, “I heard that Daria once worked on her yearbook at her old school. Is that true?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded, “Anya told me that once.”

“Good!” Jodie sighed in relief, “We’ve got a new kid on the yearbook staff. Ted. Nice guy and all—kinda weird though. Not weird in an Upchuck kind of way.” She quickly stated as she saw the dubious look on Elizaveta’s face. “He just doesn’t seem to know how to deal with people very well in a social situation—he’s a little awkward and clumsy—if you catch my drift. But he’s also a pretty good photographer and pretty smart too. I’d like it if he could work with someone who’s had yearbook experience—and who maybe he could relate to and I was thinking that Daria would be perfect. Do you think she might be interested in joining yearbook staff?”

“Good luck with that!” Angie quipped as she joined the conversation.

“I’m afraid my szereto’s right.” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think she’ll accept.”

“There has to be some way to convince her.” Jodie remarked, “You’re her sister…you have any ideas?”

“Hmmm…” Elizaveta pondered the question for several moments before replying, “Don’t try the school spirit or meeting new friends angle, and I doubt you’ll get anywhere if you ask her to do it just to be nice. The only way to get her to do it is if she thinks she’s getting more out of it than what she has to put in.”

“That’s a really cold way of looking at things.” Jodie shook her head. “Why is she that way? She keeps pushing people away…”

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta sighed, shaking her head, “I wish I knew what to tell you. Get her one-on-one and talk about something she’s interested in and know what you’re talking about, and she’s a great person. But…she’s not one to give second chances and…as you already know…she can be very rigid.”

“Tell me about it!” Jodie exclaimed, heaving a sigh of exasperation. “Still…I think she’d enjoy this…if I can get her to join that is!”

“Well…” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a crooked grin as she gestured towards her step-sister approaching her locker, “There’s your chance. Good luck. Angie and I are on our way to dance practice.”

“Thanks.” Jodie sighed, “You guys have fun!”

“Later!” Both Angie and Elizaveta waved as they walked away.

“Think she’s got a chance, baby?” Angie asked in a low voice as the pair made their way to the gym.

“Maybe.” Elizaveta answered back, “Daria mentioned something about some web software she’s after. That might give Jodie an opening.”

“I wonder what made her as cynical and mercenary as she is?” Angie pondered, echoing Jodie’s earlier words.

“I don’t know.” Elizaveta shook her head, repeating what she had just told Jodie, adding, “Maybe anya or apa know something. I don’t think she’s going to talk to me.”

“Probably not.” Angie agreed, “Well…if you find out…”

“I’ll let you know.”

 

Watching as Daria walked away from the table after securing a deal in which her parents would buy her some new web software in exchange for her joining the yearbook staff and then Quinn coming and going after liberating a stack of bills from Jake’s hands, Elizaveta inquired, “Anya…apa…I was wondering…why are Daria and Quinn so…”

“Mercenary, honey?” Helen sighed dejectedly.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in reply.  
“Give me a moment…” Helen said as she left the room, returning a few moments later with a bottle of wine and three glasses. “Here…” She said as she poured some wine in each of the glasses. “This is going to take some explaining and the wine will help.” After taking a sip of her wine, Helen sighed, “To a large extent…it’s my fault…”

“Our fault.” Jake interrupted, placing his hand over his wife’s, “I contributed to the problem.”

“Anyway…” Helen said, “Remember what I told you about us not wanting to make the same mistakes our parents made, but in the process of doing that, we make our own?”

“Yeah.” 

“Well…that’s a big part of why Daria and Quinn are the way they are…but…there are a couple of other reasons too.”

“Those two idiots back in Highland.” Jake growled as he tossed back his wine, finishing it in one gulp.

“Right.” Helen nodded in agreement and then took the glass away from her husband, “Why don’t we wait a little before I refill your glass, Jakey…I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have too much too quickly.”

“You’re right, honey.” Jake agreed, “We’ve got a lot to talk about here…so…where do you want us to start, kiddo?” He asked as he turned his attention to his step-daughter.

“Maybe the beginning?” Elizaveta suggested.

“Okay.” Helen took a deep breath and exhaled, “I guess you could say it started when Quinn was born. A lot of times, when there’s a new arrival in the family, a lot of attention gets focused on the newcomer…”

“Kind of like with me when I came here?” Elizaveta interrupted, her lips turned up in a crooked grin.

“A little bit.” Helen chuckled, “But…no offense…you’re not a little baby and well…babies have a way of getting everyone’s attention and sometimes that can cause older siblings to feel a little resentful, and we never noticed until it was too late that while we were paying all that attention to Quinn…we were neglecting Daria.”

Jake somberly nodded his head, “On top of that work kept both me and your mother so busy that we never caught the warning signs until it was too late.”

“Like when Daria got upset over Quinn chewing her picture book.” Helen sighed.

 

_**Highland, Texas: Several Years Ago** _

“Ga Ga…” Little Quinn was at once drawn to the square object with the pretty colors and shapes lying on the floor. Crawling towards the pretty object, Quinn grabbed it and seeing what looked like a chicken drumstick on it, began to chew the corner.

“Mine.” Little Daria cried out as she grabbed the book and began to pull it away from her sister who started to cry.

Hearing her little girl’s cries, Helen at once dropped doing the casework that she had brought from the job and rushed into the living room to see her two daughters fighting over the picture book. “Daria!” She called out, “Share!”

“Mine.” Daria responded as she continued to pull at the book.

Walking over to the feuding sisters, Helen gently, yet firmly loosened Daria’s grip on the book. “Here, Daria…” Helen smiled as she handed her older daughter a doll. “Why don’t you play with this for now.”

Taking the doll, a sullen Daria turned away and waddled back to a corner. “Mine.” She muttered as she toddled away.

 

_**The Present:** _

“That was my first screw up.” Helen admitted as she took a sip of her wine. “At least the first one that I can vividly recall. I’m sure there were earlier foul ups.”

“I made my share, honey.” Jake confessed, “Remember the ice cream incident?”

 

_**Highland Texas: Daria Age Six, Quinn Age Five** _

“Dad…Quinn stole my ice cream cone.”

“Did not!” Quinn protested as she licked the strawberry ice cream. “The ice cream man gave it to me first.”

“I was first in line.” Daria grumbled. “You cut ahead of me.”

“I’m cuter!” Quinn exulted triumphantly as she strode away.

“Don’t worry, kiddo.” Jake said consolingly as he regarded his older daughter. “I’ll just go into the kitchen and get you a bowl of ice cream.”

“Don’t want vanilla.” Daria grumbled, “Wanted chocolate.”

Sighing, Jake opened his billfold and took out a dollar bill. “The ice cream man’s still here…go get yourself another cone.”

“Gotta walk down the street.” Daria protested.

“Ok, kiddo.” Jake smiled as he took out another dollar bill. “This is for making you walk.”

Smirking, Daria took the dollar bill and walked away having learned a valuable lesson.

 

_**The Present:** _

“From that time on…” Jake confessed, “It just became easier to give them money when I screwed up. Everyone went away happy and I could go back to doing what I was doing.”

“And I did much the same thing.” Helen sighed, “There was always more work to do. It was easier to just pay them off rather than really dealing with the problem. And once we got started…we couldn’t stop.”

“And there was that horrible fight we had…” Jake groaned as Helen filled his glass half full.

“Tell me about it.” Helen shook her head as she refilled her glass as well. Looking her step-daughter in the eyes, she spoke in a level, serious tone, “What we are about to tell you now must never leave this room, sweetie. It’s just between us. Don’t talk about this to Daria…Quinn…even Angie. I know the last part’s going to be difficult…but you have to promise us that.”

“I promised her no secrets…” Elizaveta replied as she took a sip of her wine, “But…I will promise you that I won’t say anything to her unless she asks me about it directly and if she does, I’ll tell her that I have to get your permission before I say anything and if you say no, I’ll tell her that and to ask you about it if she really wants to know and you can take it from there. Is that all right?”

“I guess that’ll have to do.” Helen responded. “As I’m sure you’re aware, Daria has always been a very bright girl. She was already reading at least at a second grade level when she started kindergarten.” Helen declared with pride. Then she shook her head sadly, “But…as I’m sure you’re also aware, she has problems handling social interactions.”

“We were both under a lot of stress at the time.” Jake declared, rejoining the conversation. “Work was piling up on me…”

“And I was working on a very difficult case.” Helen interjected.

“The school was constantly calling us about Daria having problems.” Jake recounted. “Getting into fights with other students…talking back to the teacher…and being generally disruptive.”  
“It all boiled over one day and your father and I had a…I guess you could call it a knock-down drag-out fight.” Helen recalled. “There was a lot of yelling and I think I ended up throwing some plates at Jake.”

“You got me with a couple of ‘em.” Jake chuckled. “Hurt like hell. You always did have good aim.”

“I still do, Jake…” Helen quipped with a mischievous grin.

“Anyway…” Jake remembered, “I stormed out of the house and spent the night in a cheap motel down the road before we both cooled off enough to deal with the situation.”

“The fight was never about Daria.” Helen declared as Jake nodded his head, “Yeah…she was the topic of the argument, but she didn’t cause it.”

“Right.” Jake nodded his head in agreement, “It was a bunch of little stuff all piling up, and the phone calls we got about her from her school was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“And then there was her freshman year at Highland High and those two jackasses.” Helen grimaced.

“Those two?” Jake shook his head in disgust. “I keep wondering why Daria continued to hang out with them.”

“I think it was more she was enjoying making asses out of them than anything else.” Helen managed a wry chuckle. Turning her attention back to Elizaveta, she explained, “You might have heard us talk about them a time or two?”

“I’ve heard you talking a little about those two hülyék.” Elizaveta nodded, “But I don’t really know anything about them.”

“Consider yourself lucky.” Helen smirked, “We wouldn’t allow them in the house.”

“Hell, Helen.” Jake snorted, “We didn’t allow Beavis and Butthead in our yard—much less the house!”

“Butthead?” Elizaveta laughed. “Was that his real name?”

“We’re not sure.” Helen chuckled, “I’ve heard it was just a nickname, but I also heard that it was his real name.” Her laughter fading, she recalled, “From what I heard, neither one of them had parents really worth anything.”

“Junkies and jailbirds.” Jake grumbled. “Those boys never stood a chance.”

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head sadly, “If wouldn’t surprise me if they were born brain damaged because of their mothers’ drug problems.” After a moment’s pause in which she took another sip of wine, Helen continued her story, “That whole school was a disaster area. The principal was a man named McVicker and he was a total mess.”

“Yeah.” Jake nodded his head, “I remember that time he called us into the school because Daria was writing some violent revenge stories…”

“She was doing it just to get a rise out of the teachers.” Helen shook her head as she recalled that meeting.

 

_**Highland High, Last Year** _

As they entered the principal’s office, Helen and Jake immediately spotted a bald obese man sitting trembling behind a desk with sweat rolling down his face. Seeing the perspiration stains on his shirt and the half full pill bottle and glass of water on the desk, Helen barely managed to keep a look of disgust off her face, instead plastering on a fake smile. “Principal McVicker? We’re the Morgendorffers. We came concerning the complaint about our daughter Daria?”

“Oh…uh…” The principal stammered as he nervously shuffled a sheaf of papers in his hands. Finding the one he was looking for, he gestured for the two parents to sit down in front of the desk. “Ummm…Mr. Van Driessen was concerned about a short story your daughter wrote in his class a couple of days ago.”

“Can we see the story?” Helen asked as the principal, his hand shaking, gave the essay to the auburn-haired mother. Carefully reading the essay as the principal took what seemed to be several pills out of the pill bottle and then swallow them in one gulp with a drink of water, Helen sighed as she handed the manuscript to Jake to read.

His eyes bulging as he read the story, Jake remarked, “It’s awfully…graphic…in places.”

Shaking her head, Helen responded, speaking to both her husband and to the principal. “She’s obviously doing this to get a reaction out of her teachers. Looks like she succeeded. Look…”  
she declared as she fixed the principal in her steely gaze, causing him to at once flinch, “…you don’t have to worry about her acting out on any of this stuff. It’s just her way of letting off steam and…” she forced herself to admit, “…getting attention.”

“Yeah.” Jake readily agreed, “Our girl’s a good girl.”

“Oh…” Principal McVicker quickly declared, “Daria’s very bright and she’s never a problem in class…” Then, the sound of those boys laughing caused the principal to clench his teeth before popping even more pills. “I just thought you should be aware of the situation.”

Getting up from their seats, Helen once again plastered a phony smile on her face as Jake took his place by her side. “Thank you, we’ll speak to our daughter about it and ask her to try to tone her writing down some.”

“I appreciate that.” The principal replied with a nervous smile. Then, taking a deep breath as the Morgendorffers departed, he pushed the button on the intercom, “All right, Sally, send the monsters in.”

As the Morgendorffers walked past a pair of boys, one a blond haired scrawny young man with a long nose and a stupid look on his face wearing a Metallica t-shirt and shorts and the other, a dark-haired boy with an even stupider look on his face and wearing shorts and an AC-DC t-shirt, Helen overheard the dark-haired boy mutter just loud enough to be heard.

“MILF Alert…Hehehehe…”

“MILF…MILF” The other boy muttered as Helen, grabbing Jake by the hand, literally pulled him towards the door, almost slamming it as she and her husband left.

 

_**The Present** _

“I had to take a shower when I got home.” Helen grumbled as she downed the last of her wine. Shaking her head, she remarked ruefully, “We’ve never been unhappy with Daria…we love her.”

Jake nodded his head in agreement, “Yeah. We figured that there would be some problems with her socializing with others because she’s so gifted. We’re only unhappy because she’s unhappy.”

“Well…” Elizaveta replied as she finished her wine, “Maybe working on the yearbook will help her. Jodie told me that she’ll be working with a new kid—a boy—I think his name’s Ted.”

“Oh?” Helen and Jake’s ears both pricked up on hearing the mentioning of a boy. “Can you tell us more, sweetie?” Helen asked.

“I don’t know a whole lot about him.” Elizaveta admitted, “Just what I heard from Jodie. But he sounds a little like Daria. Smart and Jodie said that he was little awkward. Not a bad awkward like Upchuck…” She quickly clarified, “More a clumsy awkward if you know what I mean.”

“I think we do, kiddo.” Jake smiled as he stood up. “Well…let’s hope everything works out.”

“Amen to that.” Helen quickly agreed as she and Elizaveta also rose their feet.

“Well, anya…apa…” Elizaveta smiled, “I better hit the books. I’ll see you later.”

 

“So…how is Daria doing with the new kid on the yearbook?” Angie asked as she and her girlfriend walked down the hallway towards their lockers.

“No one’s dead yet.” Both girls chuckled at Elizaveta’s answer. Then, seeing Daria’s partner at his locker, she grinned, “Why don’t we ask him?”

“Why not?” Angie smirked, “Should be interesting.” As the pair, holding each other’s hands, approached the young man, they saw a relatively handsome boy with blond hair and wearing glasses.

“Hello.” Elizaveta called out politely.

“Oh…Hi.” Ted smiled back.

“I’m Elizaveta…” The blonde cheerleader said, introducing herself, “One of Daria’s sisters. And this is my girlfriend, Angie.”

“You’re a sister of Daria’s?” Ted exclaimed with a look of surprise on his face, “But…you don’t look anything like Daria. The cheekbones are wrong and your nose and hair color…”

“I’m Daria’s stepsister.” Elizaveta quickly interrupted the boy before he could continue his genetics lesson.

“Oh! I see!” Ted replied with a big smile on his face. “Isn’t Daria neat?” He gushed, “She knows her photography and she’s read Ovid…how cool is that?”

“Well…I’m glad you and my sister are getting along so well.” Elizaveta grinned. Then, hearing the bell, she remarked, “We better get to class. See you later!”

“Are you going to history now?” Ted asked, then, receiving affirmative nods from both girls, proposed, “Can I come with you? We can talk some more.”

Receiving an affirmative head nod from her girlfriend, Elizaveta replied, “Why not?” Then turning to Angie, she quipped, “Our usual bet?”

“Yep. I say Priscilla this time, baby.”

“I’m going with Kevin, szereto.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Never bet against a sure thing.”

“Szereto?” Ted suddenly exclaimed as he spoke to Elizaveta, “Magyar. You’re Hungarian?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head. “Do you know Magyar?”

“Only a few words.” Ted replied. “I learned a little bit from a language record when I was ten, but I’ve forgotten most of it. My Italian and German is much better.” He then glanced at Angie and then back to the other blonde, “And you called her ‘szereto’…that means lover…doesn’t it?” As Elizaveta nodded her head, he then asked, “That mean you’re dating each other?”

“That’s right.” Angie responded, “You got a problem with that?”

“No.” Ted shook his head, “Homophobia is ignorant and stupid.”

“That’s one point in his favor, baby.” Angie remarked as the trio entered the classroom.

“Yep.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she spoke to Ted, “Congratulations, you passed the first test.”

 

“So…how’s Daria and Ted working out with the yearbook?” Angie asked Jodie as she and Elizaveta joined the African-American student and her boyfriend, Mack, at their usual lunch table.

“One day on staff and those two have already started a shitstorm.” Jodie groaned as Mack patted her shoulder consolingly. “Ted came up with the idea of giving as much emphasis to volunteering and charity fundraising as sports and clubs…”

“Not a bad idea in and of itself…” Elizaveta pondered as Angie and Mack both nodded their heads in agreement.

“Oh…it’s a good idea.” Jodie affirmed, “We’ve got some students here who are doing great work in the community and they deserve recognition. Adding a few pages to the yearbook for students in service clubs like Interact and who do stuff like the annual blood drive and Christmas dinner for the homeless would be great and wouldn’t add that much to the cost of the yearbook!” 

“I know.” Angie agreed. “Me and Elizaveta, along with Nikki, Lisa, and Jeannette all belong to Interact and we donated some time and blood to the blood drive, and Nikki and Lisa do volunteer time at the homeless shelter.”

“Even Upchuck does magic shows for the hospital’s children’s ward.” Elizaveta remarked, “I remember seeing him there when I went for one of my follow-ups. I don’t see the problem here.”

Jodie let out a sigh, “There shouldn’t be. It’s just that when they brought their idea to Mr. DeMartino, he figured that this would give him the perfect opportunity to settle scores so he decided to just cut out ten pages from sports and clubs instead of simply adding a few pages for charity and volunteer work.”

Shaking her head, Angie snorted, “Don’t they realize they’re cutting off their noses to spite themselves? The clubs that are going to get axed are clubs like dance club, French Club, the Chess, Drama, and Debate clubs. The major sports and activities like football, track, cheerleading, and basketball are all going to have their photos. If they try to cut those sports out, parents would mob the school.”

Shaking her head, Jodie replied, “Nope. They’re planning on only one group photo for each major sport and cutting out the minor sports and clubs entirely.”

“That’s unfair to those on the tennis, golf, wrestling, and gymnastics teams. Not to mention those JROTC students on the rifle or orienteering teams and the clubs that got cut.” Mack grumbled.

“Did you hear what they’re doing with the yearbook?” Brittany wailed as she and Kevin took their seats at the table. “They’re cutting out sports and clubs.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “That’s what we’re talking about now, Britt.”

“So…what are we gonna do about it, Mack Daddy?” Kevin asked.

“Maybe see if we can get Mr. DeMartino to add some pages back…” Mack suggested.

“Compromise?” Elizaveta responded as the football team captain nodded his head in agreement, “Makes sense.”

“Maybe you can talk to them, Elizaveta?” Brittany suggested as she gestured with her head at the table where Daria and Ted were having lunch and talking.

“Couldn’t hurt, baby.” Angie encouraged. “Just tell them we’re not asking for all the pages to be restored. Just enough where the minor sports and those clubs that got cut can have their pictures included. All they’d need to do is add one picture for each of them.”

“I’ll give it a try.” Elizaveta replied as she stood up. “Wish me luck.” Approaching the table where her step-sister sat with the new kid, Elizaveta cleared her throat, “Hi Ted…’ Elizaveta smiled down at the boy, “Do you mind if I speak to my sister alone for a moment?”

“Not at all.” Ted smiled back, “I need to get something from my locker anyway.” Turning to Daria, he remarked, “I’ll see you in yearbook after school.”

“Thanks.” Elizaveta said as she sat down where Ted once sat, “This won’t take long, Daria.”

“Go ahead.” Daria replied, “It’s a free country…but don’t think you’re going to change my mind about restoring the cut pages.”

“I’m not asking you to give all of them back to sports and clubs.” Elizaveta answered back, maintaining her smile, “All I’m asking is that you ask Mr. DeMartino to give a few pages back so that the sports and clubs that got cut can have their pictures included. If you and Ted both ask him, I’m sure he’ll agree.”

“Why should I?” Daria responded with a touch of bitterness in her voice. “What’s in it for me?”

“Do you always have to reduce everything to what do you get out of it, Daria?” Elizaveta asked. “Maybe just do it because it would be a nice thing to do? An act of kindness.”

“Right.” Daria snorted, “Like everyone here’s been kind to me.”

“Actually…” Elizaveta rebuked, “Most people have.” Ignoring the look of incredulity on her step-sister’s face, the blonde cheerleader steamrollered on, “For instance, Brittany invited you to her party…”

“After I helped her in art.” Daria interrupted.

“Yeah.” The blonde cheerleader agreed, “As a way of saying thank you. She didn’t have to do it. But she did. Because Brittany is deep down a nice person—and so is Kevin.” Seeing the askance look her sister was giving her, Elizaveta remarked, “Ok…they have their faults—but then neither you nor I are exactly perfect you know. And how many times have Jodie and Mack or someone else helped you out—or offered to help you only for you to turn them down? How often have you been invited to join one club or another or participate in one activity or another only to say no—usually in as blunt and rude a manner as possible. Or you say yes only after you’ve been bribed.”

“I didn’t ask for anyone’s help or ask to join any damn club.” Elizaveta’s misanthropic stepsister growled angrily. “I didn’t even want to join the damned yearbook staff.”

“I know.” Elizaveta sighed, “I had to put that bug in Jodie’s ear to suggest that you might do it in exchange for a bribe. Now I see I was wrong to do that.”

“Yes, you were.” Daria snapped back.

“Okay…” Elizaveta sighed as she tried one more appeal to Daria’s sense of compassion, “I want you to imagine this: Maybe in about ten or twenty years some of those people who would normally appear in the yearbook photos that are going to get cut by you might have wanted to show their children what they did in high school.” Elizaveta said, her passion growing as she spoke, “Maybe those pictures that you cut out might have helped some of them in thirty, forty, or fifty years remember friends who aren’t with them anymore—as in having passed on. Maybe…in a few cases…” She remarked somberly, referring to Kevin and Brittany, “All they may have to look back on as accomplishments in their lives might be their memories of high school and those photos you cut could have at least brought a smile to their faces. Have you considered that?”

“Why should I give a damn about some idiot who wants to brag to their boy or girl about what a BMOC or queen bee they were in high school or someone who’s so stuck in the past they can’t let go of people they probably haven’t seen in thirty years, or how an old and wrinkled Brittany who’s still probably wearing her cheerleader uniform forty years from now feels or what a brain-damaged Kevin sucking down a beer in front of a television set still in his jersey thinks—assuming he’s even capable of intelligent thought.” Daria bit back. “The cut pages stay cut!”

Getting up from the table, Elizaveta glared angrily down at her step-sister. “That’s cruel and heartless even for you, Daria.” She shouted, “There was no call to say that about Kevin or Brittany. They haven’t done anything to hurt you. You say you don’t care about the football team or the cheerleaders or the Fashion Club. Fine. But you’re also cutting out the Chess Club, the Drama Club, the Science Club, the volleyball team, the gymnastics squad, the wrestling team, and a bunch of other activities. You know, there are times you are a real selfish bitch.” Then, as she stormed off, she called back in a loud voice so that the entire cafeteria could hear her, “Nyald ki a seggem!”

Returning to her usual table, a still steaming Elizaveta sat down next to her girlfriend who immediately gave her a hug and a kiss, “I’m sorry, baby…but…thank you for standing up for Brittany and Kevin. What did she say about them?”

“I’ll tell you later, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered back so that their friends couldn’t overhear. “It wasn’t very nice.”

“Thank you for trying at least, Elizaveta.” Brittany smiled through her tears as Angie reached over and took her hand in hers. “What did you tell Daria? I couldn’t understand what you were saying. You were speaking that Maggy language…” 

“Better you not know.” Angie answered back. “Let’s just say that my baby’s pretty pissed at her sister right now.” Then, hearing the bell ring for the next class, she remarked, “We better get going. Mr. O’Neill awaits.”

 

As the Barbies walked down the hall to class, they noticed that Kevin and Brittany, who had left ahead of them were involved in a heated argument with Daria. “This doesn’t look good.” Angie murmured to her girlfriend, “Want to step in?”

“Not yet.” Elizaveta demurred, “Brittany and Kevin need to get this out of their system. If it looks like it’s about to get out of hand, we’ll put a stop to it.”

“Okay, baby.” Angie agreed, “But if Daria does anything to hurt Britt…”

“We’ll deal with it.” Elizaveta responded, placing a gentle hand on her lover’s arm.

“Nice day today, isn’t it, traitor?” Kevin growled as he glared down at Daria

“What the hell are you talking about this time?” Daria grumbled back, and then figuring out that it had to be about the yearbook, responded in a curt and sarcastic voice, “How can I betray something I don’t believe in?”

“Sports are like…” Kevin stammered, looking for the words, “…like the beating heart of the yearbook…uhhh…system, I mean!”

“Yeah!” Brittany interjected, joining her boyfriend’s protests, “Like, the only reason to join French Club is to appear in the yearbook.”

“Oh?” Daria snarked, raising an eyebrow, “I thought you joined because of your deep and abiding love for the French people and their culture.”

“Love didn’t have anything to do with it!” Brittany protested.

“Oh no…” Angie sighed as she whispered to her girlfriend, “She’s going to bring up Francois.”

“Francois?” Elizaveta raised an eyebrow.

“Exchange student.” Angie shook her head, “It was last year. She had a one-night stand with him when she and Kevin were in the middle of one of their fights and had broken up.”

“He was a lonely exchange student!” Brittany exclaimed, heedless of what she was saying, “I just wanted to give him an American goodbye!”

“Huh?” Daria raised an eyebrow

“What?” Kevin exclaimed.

“Oops.” Brittany, finally realizing what she blurted out, quickly recovered, “I’m sorry…this yearbook thing is just messing me up!”

“Yeah…right.” Daria snarked as Kevin consoled his girlfriend.

“It’s okay, babe.” Then turning back to Daria, he glared down at her before the pair stormed off, “See what you did to her…traitor!”

Letting out a snort of derision as the clueless pair walked away, Daria saw her step-sister and Angie looking at her. “What?”

“Nothing. It wouldn’t do any good anyway. You wouldn’t listen.” Elizaveta curtly replied as she and her girlfriend quietly walked away.

 

The bell ringing to signal the end of the school day, Elizaveta and Angie quickly made their exit from Ms. Barch’s class, spotting Stacy and Tiffany walking together, this time without the two Fashion Club alpha females in their company. Calling out to them, the Barbies received a friendly wave from the two freshmen as they approached.

“You two off to dance practice?” Stacy asked.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta replied, “So…I take it you’ve heard the news about the yearbook.”

“Oh yeah.” Tiffany nodded her head. “Sandi’s planning on calling Daria out about it tomorrow.”

Laughing, Angie quipped, “I think we know how that’s going to go.”

Chuckling, Stacy chimed in, “Yeah…Quinn didn’t do anything to try to talk her out of it either. If anything, she egged her on.”

“Quinn knows how that confrontation’s going to end up.” Elizaveta concluded, “She just set Sandi up to look like an ass in front of everyone at school tomorrow.”

“That’s what we thought.” Stacy grinned, “Of course…we kind of set things up for those two.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany smirked, “We might have more or less goaded them into it.”

“Our girls are growing up.” Angie teased good-naturedly, “They’re learning how to play the barracudas off against each other. Won’t be long and they’ll be ready to leave the nest.”

Laughing, Elizaveta suggested, “Why don’t you two come with us to practice? We’re doing a dress rehearsal for the end of school recital in a couple of weeks. You can get a sneak peek.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, adding her encouragement. “You know…you should consider dance or drama club for next year. Even if you don’t want to dance or perform in front of an audience, there’s plenty to do backstage like costuming and sets and just general stuff.”

“Hmmm…” Stacy mused, “We could use an additional extracurricular or two.” 

“And it would give us some more space away from Sandi and Quinn.” Tiffany added.

“Okay!” Both girls grinned, “We’ll think about it.”

“Good.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Now…come on!”

“I think we’re ready, girls!” Claire Defoe exclaimed with a broad smile on her face as she clapped her hands. “You’re looking good. I think we’re going to knock ‘em dead in a couple of weeks.”

“Great!” Angie and Elizaveta responded as they wiped the sweat off their bodies. “Hopefully everyone else will love it.”

“We did.” Stacy and Tiffany declared as they joined the Barbies and their teacher. “Hello, Ms. Defoe.”

“Stacy…Tiffany…” The fine arts teacher smiled down at her younger students, “Thanks for sitting in. Are you thinking about joining the dance club next year?”

“Well…I only had dance classes when I was a kid…I’m afraid I’m not very good.” Stacy demurred

“I took a little ballet…” Tiffany replied, “…but that was a long time ago too.”

“Well…why don’t you think about joining us when we have our summer sessions.” Ms. Defoe proposed, “And let’s see how you like it. And even if you don’t want to perform on stage, we have a real need for set designers, costumers…”

“I can do that!” Stacy grinned, “I love to sew and want to get into designing clothes.”

“She really is very good, Ms. Defoe.” Angie interjected, vouching for the young pig-tailed brunette.

“All right.” Claire agreed, “We’ll get you started when we begin our summer program. Until then…do you think you could bring me some of the stuff you’ve done?”

“Sure!” Stacy responded enthusiastically.

“I could maybe learn how to do stuff around the stage?” Tiffany suggested.

“We could use an assistant stage manager.” Claire nodded her head thoughtfully. “I think you’d enjoy doing that Tiffany.”

“That sounds like it would be fun.” The young Eurasian girl readily agreed.

“Terrific.” Claire responded and then remarked, “I heard about what happened with the yearbook—that they’re cutting out clubs and sports. I hope you’re not too upset at that.”

“You heard about my fight with Daria.” Elizaveta replied with a crooked grin.

“I think the entire school has heard about it by now—those that didn’t actually hear it while it was happening that is!” Ms. Defoe answered back, “Still…I hope things work out.”

“I’m sure they will.” Elizaveta responded with a sad smile, “Me and Angie aren’t concerned about us…”

“Right.” Angie nodded her head in agreement. “We just don’t like seeing everyone else getting shafted because someone or some ones have personal scores they want to settle.”

“It’s just that the whole thing can be fixed so easily.” Elizaveta sighed, “All it takes is a little give on both sides.”

“There’s where the problem is.” Claire shook her head, “All too often we talk at each other, around each other, and over each other, but we never talk TO each other. If we did more of that…”

“We wouldn’t have so many problems.” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Your words to God’s ears, baby.” Angie smirked as she squeezed her lover’s hand.

“Okay, girls!” Clare called out, “Hit the showers and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Watching as the girls in the dance club left the auditorium, Skylar Feldman turned to his wingman and chuckled evilly, “I’m going to fix those two dykes and that art teacher but good. I’m going to trash their recital”

“Whatever you’re going to do, Skylar…” Brad Phillips growled, “Count me in. I owe those two lesbos for what they did to me and I owe Defoe one for failing me last semester.”

Taking out his phone, Skylar dialed a number, “Hello? Wretchboro Baptist Church? There’s something I think you should know about that’s going to happen in a couple of weeks in Lawndale…”

 

“Struck out too, huh?” Elizaveta smirked as Quinn emerged from Daria’s room.

“Yeah.” Quinn replied as the pair entered Quinn’s bedroom. “I think she’s stuck on that Ted guy. Daria told me that he’s the one pushing for the cuts.”

Closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to adjust to all the pink in the room, Elizaveta shook her head. “Nah…from what I hear all Ted did was suggest that volunteer and charity groups should get some space in the yearbook. He never actually proposed that clubs and activities be cut. That’s all DeMartino’s doing with Daria going along for the ride. But…” She added with a crooked grin on her face, “You might have something there with Daria maybe being interested in Ted.”

“I knew it!” Quinn cried out triumphantly. “I knew she was stuck on that boy!”

“Maybe a little…” Elizaveta cautioned, “But don’t count on using it to influence her.”

“Don’t worry, Sis.” Quinn’s lips turned up in a sly grin, “I’ve got a plan.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, Quinn…” Elizaveta warned, “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Sis.” The young redhead responded airily, “I’ve got it covered.”

“Right.” Elizaveta answered back, rolling her eyes as she exited the room.

 

After the kitchen had been cleaned and the dishes put away. Helen watched as Quinn and Daria made their way up the stairs to their room. Signaling for Elizaveta to stay, the auburn-haired mother inquired as the pair joined Jake on the couch, “Is there something wrong between you and Daria, sweetie. I noticed you two didn’t say a word to each other ever since you came home from school.”

“It’s that whole issue with the yearbook.” Elizaveta sighed. “I had a fight with her in the cafeteria when I suggested that we could compromise…I asked her to give back a few of those pages that were cut so that the sports and clubs that don’t get a lot of attention get some space. There’d still be plenty of room for charities and volunteer groups.”

“Sounds like a fair compromise.” Helen nodded, “I take it Daria didn’t go with it.”

“Nope.” Elizaveta shook her head, “First thing she asked me was what was she going to get out of it. It spiraled downward from there.”

“Damn.” Helen sighed, “I guess it’s true what they say about mistakes you make in the past biting you in the behind later. I’m sorry, sweetie. If I knew now what I knew then…”

“Don’t blame yourself, anya.” Elizaveta smiled as she consoled her step-mother. “The past is past.”

“You’re right, dear.” Helen sighed, “Well…guess I should go on ahead and give her that web design software like we promised. After all, she did live up to her end of the deal. Don’t forget to remind me and we’ll get it before the weekend, Jake.”

“Ok, honey.” Jake replied as they heard a loud banging at the front door.

“What the hell?” Helen exclaimed as Jake got up from the couch.

“I’ll get it, honey.” Opening the door, Jake was confronted by an angry couple.

“Morgendorffers? The man inquired as he and his wife barged into the house, causing Helen and Elizaveta to both rise to their feet.

“If this is for Greenpeace…” Jake bluffed, “We’ve already given.”

“Greenpeace?” The woman cried out in a shrill voice, “Those corporate shills?”

“Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing barging into our house like that?” Helen demanded as she and Elizaveta both approached, Elizaveta already balling her hands into fists.

“Leslie DeWitt.” The woman growled.

“Grant Clinton.” The man spat out in reply. “We’re Ted DeWitt-Clinton’s parents.”

“I’m sorry…is he one of the boys Quinn went out with this week?” A stupefied Helen responded.

“He’s the boy working on the yearbook with Daria that I told you about.” Elizaveta whispered to her mother.

“Thanks.” Helen whispered back as Grant took out a ziplock bag with used gum in it.

“Does this look familiar?” Grant inquired with a sneer.

“Looks like gum.” Jake responded with a shrug of his shoulders. “What’s the big deal?”

“From your daughter, Daria.” Leslie accusingly declared.

“Would you like to come in for drinks so that we can talk about whatever this is?” Helen, in an effort to ease tensions, suggested, plastering the same smile on her face that she used in the courtroom.

“Alcohol, I presume.” Grant sniffed primly, “Now I see where she gets it.”

“I’ll put on some coffee then!” Helen sighed as her patience began to wear thin.

“Caffeine?” Grant gasped in seeming moral outrage as Helen and Elizaveta both shook their heads.

“What’s the problem here?” A genuinely dumbfounded Jake inquired.

“Of course you don’t know what the problem is.” Leslie responded with a derisive snort. “You people are happy indulging yourselves on the empty offerings of this so-called modern society. We just want you to keep that baggage away from our son!”

Deciding she had finally had enough of the obnoxious duo, Helen’s temper finally snapped, “Now listen here you stupid hippie, Daria might be a handful sometimes, but just because she gave your kid some lousy gum is no reason for you to…”

“It’s not just the gum!” Leslie bit back as she handed Helen a cassette tape, “She also gave him this…” 

“So what?” Jake shrugged his shoulders, “It’s the Beatles. We used to listen to them all the time…still do every now and then, I love Yellow Submarine. We all live in a yellow submarine…yellow submarine…” Jake began to sing, bringing a smile to Elizaveta’s face.

As Grant started to cry, Leslie sighed as they departed, “We tried so hard and no one seems to care.”

Closing the door after the couple had left, Jake shook his head, “What the hell was that all about?”

“And what’s going on with this neighborhood?” Helen inquired, “First people growing corn and now this?”

“Let me fix some coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.” Elizaveta grinned as she and her step-parents made their way to the kitchen. 

An hour and a pot of coffee later, Helen smiled as she helped her step-daughter clean the table. “Thanks for explaining everything, dearie.” Barely suppressing a yawn, she then suggested, “I think it’s time for bed. Big day tomorrow!”

“Yeah, you’re right, anya.” Elizaveta responded, “Good night apa…anya!”

“Goodnight sweetie.”

 

“So Ted’s parents came by to give you a visit last night?” Angie queried with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta laughed, “What a pair of douches!” 

As the pair walked, they overheard Daria and Jane’s conversation. “Doesn’t that boy seem kind of weird to you?” Jane inquired of her friend.

“Ok…’ Daria sighed, “Maybe he’s a little weird. But…” she sheepishly admitted, “…he’s also a little sweet. Isn’t that important?”

“Not as important as the fact that he’s never had gum before and didn’t even know what the Beatles were.” Jane chuckled, “Who’d have thought that my amiga would get involved with a kook! This is so cute!”

“We’re not involved!” Daria exclaimed.

“Well…” Angie whispered, “This is an interesting development.”

“Looks like it’s gonna get more interesting.” Elizaveta whispered back as she pointed toward Ted who was at that time approaching Daria and Jane. “Let’s see if we can move in a little closer and do some naughty eavesdropping.”

“Hi Daria!” Ted grinned, “I carved this necklace for you as my way of saying thank you for the gum.”

“That’s beautiful.” Jane exclaimed, her voice tone reflecting genuine sincerity, “That is very nicely done. It had to have taken quite a bit of time and effort to have carved this. The detail is amazing!” She then remarked with a smirk, “I guess someone here’s involved.”

“I’m sorry, Ted.” Daria replied, shaking her head, “But I can’t take it.”

“Why not?” A mystified Ted responded, “I made it for you.”

“Ted…” Daria sighed, “We work together on yearbook. We don’t make jewelry for each other.”

“You’re not being sarcastic or ironic, are you?” A suddenly crestfallen Ted replied. Quickly recovering, he turned to walk away, “Guess I’ll see you in yearbook then.”

“Umm…you did the right thing?” Jane said in a sympathetic tone.

“Yeah.” Daria grumbled, “A boy makes a necklace by hand for me and I treat it like toxic waste. Sure…I did the right thing.”

Seeing that Daria and Jane were about to turn their way, Angie quickly gathered Elizaveta in her arms for a lingering deep kiss. At first surprised by her girlfriend’s actions, Elizaveta quickly melted in her arms, returning her kiss with a fiery passion of her own.

“Ok…you two can come up for air now.” Daria snarked, “I hope you enjoyed the show.” 

“Oh man! Just as it was getting good!” Shaggy, who had been watching the impromptu show put on by the two girls along with a few other boys, exclaimed in frustration.

Reluctantly breaking from their liplock, Angie smiled as she caught her breath. “What are you talking about, Daria? In case you didn’t recognize it, me and my baby were kinda busy.”

“Yeah…right…whatever.” Daria muttered under her breath as she walked away, leaving Jane alone with the Barbies.

“Ok, you two.” Jane commanded, “Out with it. What the hell is going on here?”

Shaking her head, Elizaveta replied, “I think Daria is at least a little stuck on Ted…”

“No Duh!” Jane exclaimed, “Now tell me something I don’t know.”

“Not much more to tell.” Elizaveta responded, “Daria and Mr. DeMartino have apparently decided that cutting pages in the yearbook would be the perfect way for both of them to settle scores. I tried to get her to agree to a compromise and you know how that went.”

“Yeah.” Jane responded not unsympathetically. “My amiga can get pretty stubborn when she feels she has to take a stand.” She then shook her head, “If you’re asking for my help, I’m sorry, but there’s not much I can do. You know how she is once she decides on something and right now, other than maybe Ted, she really doesn’t have anyone she can trust to talk to other than me.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, adding in a kindly voice, “I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle.”

“Thanks.” Jane replied, “For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s fair to cut out clubs like dance and drama either—not to mention some of the others. Those kids in the chess club and debating team don’t deserve to be the victims in this pissing match.” Giving the Barbies a quick smile, Jane made her exit, “I’ll catch you two later…gotta make sure my amiga doesn’t piss anyone else off—at least not without me there to watch the fireworks.”

 

“So…what’s the full story on Ted?” Helen asked Elizaveta and Quinn as she began to set the table for dinner.

“He’s a freak!” Quinn exclaimed with a roll of her eyes.

“He’s not a freak.” Elizaveta corrected. “Remember what we talked about last night?” She continued, reminding Helen of their earlier conversation, seeing her step-mother nod her head in agreement, the blonde continued, “Ted made a very nice necklace for Daria and she turned it down.”

“That’s so sweet!” Helen gushed as she remembered a similar gesture that Jake had done for her. Although the gift was flawed, it was the thought that counted. “But why did she turn it down?”

“I think he belongs to some kind of cult.” Quinn griped, “He wears ugly clothes and is completely unsocial.”

“A cult?” Jake cried out in alarm, “He’s trying to get Daria to join a cult? He doesn’t call himself Brother Ted, does he?”

“No, Jake.” Helen sighed as Daria entered the room. Quickly realizing that she was the subject of the conversation, she interrupted.

“Oh brother!” She sighed in exasperation. “You’re all crazy! Ted’s a nice guy and we just happen to work on yearbook together. He doesn’t belong to a cult and we’re not going out!” She then turned and stormed out of the room.

“Are they going out?” Helen asked Elizaveta.

“Not officially, but I think she is stuck on him.” The blonde cheerleader answered back.

“Absolutely.” Jake nodded his head in agreement.

“No question.” Quinn also concurred.

“So…” Helen asked, “Any ideas?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Elizaveta replied, “I don’t think there’s much we can do but let it run its course.”

“I could set her up with someone…but if word got out, I’d get laughed out of town.” Quinn proposed, angling for something in return.

“What if we made it worth your while…” Jake proposed.

Seeing Elizaveta’s sharp shake of her head, Helen quickly interjected, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Jake.”

“Why not, Helen?” A genuinely confounded Jake replied, “That’s the way we’ve always done things.”

“Yeah, Mom.” Quinn interjected, giving Elizaveta a sharp look.

“Maybe we’ve been doing it all wrong.” Helen declared. “We shouldn’t have to buy your love, dearie. You do what you think is best.” She then finished setting the table, “Why don’t you go get your sister. Dinner’s about ready.”

“Ok, Mom.” Quinn grumbled as she exited the room.

“What just happened?” Jake inquired as he looked at both Helen and Elizaveta who were both smiling at each other.

“I think things are beginning to change around here, Jake.” Helen answered back, “And I think maybe for the better. But…” She cautioned, “It’s not going to be easy—for any of us.”

 

“Why are we doing this?” Tiffany asked in the slow drawl she used in the presence of Sandi and Quinn as she sat with the rest of the Fashion Club at their table, joined by a handful of ‘lucky’ boys allowed the privilege of their company.

“That type of negative question shows why you are a fashion news reader and not a fashion news maker.” Sandi haughtily sniffed.

“Who are we going to get to be her date?” Stacy inquired.

Glancing at Robert sitting at the end of the table, Quinn called out, “Robert?”

“Yes, Ma’am?” 

“You like sitting at our table—don’t you?” Quinn smiled sweetly at her prey.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Robert replied.

“Good. Then I’ve got an assignment for you.”

 

“Damn.” Jane swore under her breath from her position next to Daria at the trampoline where they were supposed to be spotting for Jennifer, aka Burnout Girl who was currently on the trampoline. “That’s not half-bad!” She exclaimed as she witnessed a girl doing a tumble on the mat and then execute a series of floor exercises.

“Grrr…” Daria swore under her breath as the pair concentrated on everything but their job. She then asked her friend, “Was I too mean to Ted?”

“Oh, brother!” Jane sighed.

“He’s not a brother and he’s not in a cult!” Daria let out a sigh of frustration as she remembered Quinn’s remarks from last night. “He’s just very honest, ethical, and smart…and I shouldn’t have been that mean to him.”

“You are stuck on him, aren’t you?” Jane smirked.

“No.” Daria denied with a shake of her head, “I’m not!”

“Yeah. Right. Keep on telling yourself that.” Jane grinned knowingly as they walked away from Jennifer without even noticing that she had fallen or hearing her cries for help. Angie, hearing her shout, rushed to the fallen girl.

“Are you all right, Jenn?” Angie called out, rushing to the fallen girl as she signaled Nikki to bring over a first aid kit. As she glanced at Jane and Daria nonchalantly walking away, she scowled. “That was a nasty fall you took. Those two idiots should have been concentrating on their job instead of gossiping. And they damned sure shouldn’t have walked away.”

“I think I’ll be ok. I think I got a bruise on my ass though and my knee hurts.” Jennifer answered back, still a bit shaken from her fall.

“Don’t ask me to kiss your ass and make it better.” Angie joked, bringing a smile to Jennifer’s face.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smirked, joining in the fun, “There’s only one girl’s ass she gets to kiss.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, baby.” Angie chuckled, and then she asked Jennifer, “You want me to get Ms. Morris?”

“Don’t bother Ms. Morris.” Jennifer replied with a shaky smile as Nikki came up with a first aid kit, followed closely behind by Lisa. “I’ll be ok.”

“Your step-sister and her friend are losing points with everyone rapidly.” Nikki remarked to Elizaveta as she applied a disinfectant to the scrape on Jennifer’s knee and then bandaged it. 

“Tell me about it!” Elizaveta sighed in exasperation. “Daria has been behaving like an ass recently and Jane should have known better.”

“I can’t believe they just walked away like that.” Jennifer said in a voice that reflected hurt, shock, and surprise. “I’ve known Jane for years. Monique…one of the members of the band I sing and write lyrics for—has kind of an on-again off-again relationship with Trent…you know…Jane’s brother. We’ve always gotten along ok…I mean we weren’t best friends or anything, but we got along. And I thought Daria was kinda cool. I was thinking it might have been nice to have gotten to know her better…we were in that self-esteem reprogramming class together. If she hadn’t of hit it off with Jane…maybe…we could have been friends.”

“You seem to be ok, but you should go see the nurse…just to be sure.” Nikki advised and then inquired, “You ok to stand?”

“Yeah.” Jennifer nodded her head, “I think so. Can you give me a hand up?”

“Sure.” Nikki and Lisa both responded as they tried to help the blonde back to her feet only to have her grimace in pain as she slid back down to the floor.

“That tears it.” Nikki exclaimed as she called two of the football players over and then signaled Clarise to join them. “Jeffie and whoever. You two go with Clarise and carry Jennifer over to the nurse’s office.” She then turned to her fellow cheerleader, “Clarise? Make sure those two do what they’re told. Don’t let them drop Jennifer and take off the first time they see Quinn.”

“Right.” Clarise nodded her head and then turned to Jeffie and Jaime. “Ok, you two. Help up Jennifer and be careful. We’re going to the nurse’s office and if you see Quinn…you either go straight ahead or me and Nikki and the other cheerleaders are going to kick your asses…you got it.”

“But…it’s Quinn…” Jaime began to protest only to be silenced by Nikki’s glare. 

“You want me to break out my riding crop?” Nikki warned.

“No Mistress Nikki!” Both boys responded as they carefully picked Jennifer up, easily bearing her weight in their arms.

Watching as Clarise, along with two of the three Js carefully carrying their burden walked away, Nikki growled in a low voice, “You know…Daria and Jane need to understand that they can’t do shit like this. I don’t give a damn about the yearbook thing—but Jennifer could have gotten seriously hurt.”

“Yeah.” Lisa nodded her head in agreement, “Remember what happened to that boy in middle school?”

Nodding her head, Angie replied somberly, “Yeah…I do.” She then explained to her girlfriend. “There was this boy doing trampoline exercises we knew in middle school. He was a good boy and everyone loved him. He always had a smile on his face and was in vocational agriculture—he was planning on majoring in agricultural management in college and then looking forward to running the family farm. He fell off the trampoline and…suffered spinal cord damage…he’s paralyzed from the neck down. They don’t think he’ll even be able to sit up…much less walk again.”

“That could have happened to Jennifer.” Nikki declared as the other girls nodded their heads in agreement.

“So…what do we do?” Angie asked. “We have to show them they can’t get away with this.”

“You’re right.” Elizaveta affirmed in a sad voice, “This can’t go unanswered.”

“Only one thing we can do since Jennifer doesn’t want to bring Ms. Morris in on it.” Lisa declared with a grim face.

“Freeze out.” Nikki announced as a judge pronouncing sentence would do.

“Freeze out.” Lisa concurred.

“Freeze out.” Angie nodded her head.

Then, all the girls looked at Elizaveta, knowing that the final approval had to come from her because of her relationship with Daria and that, for the sentence to go into effect, it had to be a unanimous decision.

“Freeze out.” Elizaveta grimly declared her decision, giving her reluctant approval to the sentence.

“That’s it then.” Nikki declared, “As of now…they don’t exist. No one speaks with or has anything to do with either one of them until they get the message that they can’t get away with shit like this.”

Angie then gazed into her girlfriend’s eyes, “I know this is hard on you, baby…and we’ll understand if you can’t…”

“No.” Elizaveta shook her head, “Nikki’s right. If Jennifer had gone to Ms. Morris and they got punished, I might think differently. But…she decided not to and those two do need to learn they can’t get away with stuff like this.”

“I’ll tell Brittany and Tori.” Angie volunteered with a sigh, “The word will spread quickly once they find out.”

“I’ll tell them, szereto.” Elizaveta interrupted as she placed a gentle hand on her lover’s arm, “She’s my sister. I have to do it.”

“You sure, baby?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I don’t want to…but I have to.”

“Let’s get it done then.” Angie let out a breath of air as she took Elizaveta’s hand.

 

“Freeze out?” Stacy gasped in astonishment as she, along with the rest of the Fashion Club, heard the news from Tori. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Tori nodded her head. “I was surprised too…especially since it was Elizaveta who told me and then she said that she and Angie were both in on the decision to call it.”

“It would have to be something pretty bad for Elizaveta to be the one to call for a freeze out.” Quinn declared. “She normally gets along pretty well with my…cousin…and that weird art-girl.”

“I concur, Quinn.” Sandi nodded in agreement. “Granted, they’re unpopular. But a freeze-out means you’re even lower than unpopular. A freeze-out only happens to someone who does something really disgusting or bad.”

“It means you don’t exist.” Tiffany drawled. “What happened?”

“Here’s what Elizaveta told me...” Tori then laid out the news. “It’s because of what happened during sophomore gym class…”

 

“Are you sure about that, Brittany?” Jodie inquired, her facial expression one of shock and disbelief. “Did they really call for a freeze out of Daria and Jane?”

“Yeah.” Mack chimed in, “That’s like the high school version of capital punishment. You’ve got to do something really shitty to have that happen to you.”

“And Elizaveta and Angie agreed to it?” Kevin exclaimed, “That’s harsh, man!”

“Yeah.” Brittany nodded, “But if I was there, I’d have agreed to it too.”

“Ok…” Jodie sighed, “Tell us what happened.”

“It happened during sophomore gym class…”

 

“What did they do to deserve a freeze-out?” Jeannette exclaimed as she heard the news from Nikki and Lisa.

“They weren’t paying attention while Jennifer was on the trampoline.” Nikki replied, “They were too busy gossiping—probably about that new kid. And to make matters worse, they just walked away without telling anyone while she was still on the trampoline and she fell down and hurt herself.”

“How badly is she hurt?” The freshman cheerleader-artist inquired in a shocked voice.

“She got lucky.” Lisa answered back, “She’s got an ugly scrape on her knee and it’s a bit stiff and swollen and she’s got a nasty bruise on her butt. Her mom took her to the doctor just to be safe and they did some x-rays on her, but they think she’s ok. They don’t think there’s any lasting knee damage, but she’s staying home and off her feet for now—just to be safe. But that’s not what’s important.”

“Lisa’s right.” Nikki declared, “What’s important is that those two should have been paying attention and they definitely shouldn’t have walked away. You remember what happened to that boy in middle school.”

“I wasn’t there at the time, but I heard the story about him.” Jeannette sighed, “Yeah…that was a pretty shitty thing they did. Ok…I’ll make sure Eddie knows and I’ll pass the word to those on the other side of the popularity tracks who are still talking to me. Most of ‘em like Jennifer because she sings and writes for the Harpies, so they’re not going to be happy about this either.”

 

Ms. Morris looked at the cheerleaders clustered in her office, “Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything? I have absolutely no problems making sure that Morgendorffer and Lane are suspended for the rest of the school term. In fact…I’ll take great pleasure in it. I should do it anyway.”

“Please don’t, Ms. Morris.” Elizaveta pleaded, “Jennifer’s not hurt that badly…”

“She’s lucky.” The gym teacher interjected.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “She is. But please…let us take care of it.” She then gazed into the eyes of her teacher, not flinching, “I promise…what we’re doing to them is worse than any detention or suspension.”

“I was in high school once.” Ms. Morris nodded her head as she realized what the punishment was that the girls had imposed on the two outcasts, “All right…I’ll let you girls handle it…this time.”

 

“Did we suddenly grow horns and a tail?” Daria exclaimed as at first Angie and Elizaveta, and then Kevin and Brittany, passed them by without giving either one of them a look or uttering a word to them.

“I don’t know. I took a shower this morning.” Jane responded as she sniffed her underarms. “Yep…deodorant’s still working.” She quipped as Jodie and Mack passed by their lockers, again not recognizing their presence, followed soon afterwards by Eddie and Jeannette who also ignored them.

“Let’s go to lunch.” Daria proposed, ignoring the fact that everyone else was ignoring her and her friend, “I’m hungry.”

As they entered the cafeteria, they went to their usual table where Mack and Jodie, along with the Barbies and Kevin and Brittany were sitting. As they approached the table, the other diners, without saying a word, picked up their trays and moved to another table.

“Ok…something’s definitely going on here.” Jane remarked. “Remember art class? Ms. Defoe didn’t say anything bad, but I could swear that it was the first time that she gave me a look of disappointment. And I don’t know if you noticed it or not, but she was giving you the same look.”

“Who cares what they think or whether they’re disappointed or not..” Daria replied in a bitter tone, “At least now we can eat in peace for a change.”

“Yeah…” Jane muttered under her breath, “A few months back I’d have agreed with you amiga, but now…I don’t think I want to go the rest of my time in high school ignored. Not when I was actually beginning to make some friends.”

 

Later on, during the freshmen’s lunch period, Robert asked Quinn as she was bringing her tray back, “Do you still want me to date that girl, Ma’am? I mean…your sister was one of the ones who called for the freeze out and I don’t want to get her mad at me…she hits hard.”

“The freeze-out doesn’t apply here.” Quinn replied reassuringly. “This is for a worthy cause and besides…our plans were put in motion before it happened—we’re grandfathered in. Don’t worry, I’ll smooth things out with Elizaveta if I have to. Just show up with Shawn tonight like you’re supposed to.”

“Ok, Ma’am.” Robert agreed as he put his tray away and returned to join the rest of the football squad.

As she exited the cafeteria, Quinn had time for a quick yelp before she was pulled into the hallway by an angry Jane. “Ok…you wanna tell me what’s going on around here?”

“Let go of me!” Quinn cried out as she tried to loosen Jane’s hold on her arm. “I can’t be seen talking to you!”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t ok? Quinn responded, “Now let me go before I scream that you’re attacking me!”

“All right.” Jane relented as she released her hold, “But I’m going to find out what’s going on and if I find out you’ve had anything to do with it, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“Yeah…whatever…dead girl.” Quinn muttered as she walked away.

“Dead girl?” Jane whispered. “No…” She shook her head, “It can’t be that. Me and Daria didn’t do anything to get frozen out…did we?”

 

As she entered the classroom where the yearbook staff had its headquarters, Daria at once noticed Ted at one of the tables looking over some photographs. Approaching the boy, she said in an apologetic tone of voice, “Hey…I’m sorry about the necklace. It was very beautiful and I was a jerk for not taking it.”

“That’s ok.” Ted replied with a smile on his face.

“Well…” Daria took a deep breath, “Let me make it up to you. Let me buy you a piece of pizza after school today.”

“Ummm…I don’t think that’s a good idea, Daria.” Ted replied, “I think you were right the first time. We should just keep things on a yearbook level.”

“Are you blowing me off?” Daria exclaimed with a surprised look on her face.

Taking a deep breath, Ted replied, “My parents warned me that kids in conventional school can be kind of…shallow.”

“You think I’m shallow?” Daria’s eyes opened wide in astonishment.

“You remind me of that popular girl around here. I think her name’s Quinn.” Ted declared, “Do you know her? I think you two might get along well with each other.” Closing up the photo album, he remarked as he cleaned up the table, “Well…I better get going now.”

 

“Umm…Ma’am?” Robert called out as Elizaveta and Angie walked past him in the hallway.

“What is it, Robert?” Elizaveta responded with an indulgent grin.

“You’re Quinn’s sister, right?” 

“Yes, Robert.” Elizaveta sighed, “Is there a problem? Did Quinn do something?”

“No…” The football player shook his head, “I don’t think so…but I wanted to check with you first to be sure…”

“Ok, Robert.” Angie prompted as the two cheerleaders and the football player sat down on a bench, “Tell us what’s going on.”

“Quinn’s making me go out on a date with that girl…the one that just got frozen out. I think she’s her cousin or something. I just don’t want to get in any trouble, Ma’am.” He declared with an apologetic look on his face.

“You’re not going to get in any trouble, Robert.” Elizaveta sighed, “Go ahead and go out with her. I’ll square it with the other girls if there’s a problem—ok?”

“Ok.” The dumb jock smiled, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

“So…what do you want to do, baby?” Angie inquired as she held her girlfriend’s hand. “Let Quinn slide or lower the boom?” 

“Let her slide.” Elizaveta replied, “That date’s got disaster written all over it. All parties involved are going to have a rotten time. That’s punishment enough.”

 

Attacking her canvas as she stood in front of her easel, Jane didn’t even notice her brother entering her bedroom.

“Hey, Janie…I knocked but you didn’t hear me.”

Putting away her brushes and palette, Jane sat down on the edge of her bed, “I’m sorry, Trent. I didn’t hear your knock. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Oh. I saw Monique today.” Trent said in a conversational voice, “She said that Jennifer…you know the girl that writes some of the lyrics and sings for the Harpies…”

“Yeah…” Jane nodded her head, “I think I know who you’re talking about. Blonde-haired girl…likes to wear tattered jeans. So…”

“Monique told me that she had an accident in gym class this morning on the trampoline.” Trent relayed, “Whoever was supposed to spot for her wasn’t paying attention and just walked away from her while she was still jumping. She fell off the edge and hit the floor pretty hard.”

Her heart racing at the news, Jane asked in a low, almost trembling voice, “Is she hurt?”

“According to Monique, her knee’s swollen and she bruised her butt. They took x-rays at the doctor’s office to be sure that there wasn’t any major damage, but they didn’t see anything. She’s off her feet for now and she’s going to be on crutches for a week or two, but she should be ok.” Trent said, his voice now taking on a more comforting tone.

Sighing in relief, Jane gasped, “Well…at least she’s going to be all right.”

“Yeah.” Trent nodded his head, “Not like that boy in middle school, huh?”

“No.” Jane responded with a guilty look on her face. “She’s gonna walk.”

“That’s true.” Trent declared in a soft voice as he turned to leave the room, “I think if those girls who were supposed to spot for her were to apologize to her and really mean it, that might make up for a lot. We all make mistakes after all…don’t we?”

“Yeah, big brother.” Jane sighed, “We do.”

 

“So how was the big date?” Angie asked with a wicked grin.

“Just like I said.” Elizaveta smirked, “A total disaster for all involved. Robert’s been banned from the Fashion Club table for two weeks, Quinn came home grumbling and growling, and Daria went straight to her room without saying a word.” She then looked around and arched an eyebrow, “So…where’s Brittany and Kevin…and where’s the Fashion Club? This is their usual time gabbing at Sandi’s locker.”

“They’re storming the castle.” Nikki quipped as she joined the conversation, pointing towards the yearbook room.

Rolling her eyes, Elizaveta groaned, “Here we go again.” She then requested of Nikki, “Get Lisa and the other girls. It’s time for us to make our appearance.”

“On it.” Nikki nodded her head.

“Ok, baby…” Angie smirked, “What’s going on in that deliciously evil mind of yours?”

“That bunch isn’t going to get anywhere.” Elizaveta declared, “I figure once they’ve had their say, we’ll go in and try to talk some sense into DeMartino. Hopefully, we can separate him out from Daria and Ted and get him to listen to reason.”

“And if that fails?”

“Then we call in Plan B. She’s waiting for the word.” Elizaveta replied, her lips turned up in an evil grin.

 

Pointing to a picture of a blonde girl being carried away from the trampoline, Ted exclaimed, “This picture’s great! You can feel the pain. But shouldn’t there have been spotters?”

“The girl wasn’t really hurt.” Daria nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders before outright lying, “That was all an act. I don’t think even the spotters could have stopped that fall. Anyway, she’s fine. In fact, she fell off the uneven bars today so it was clearly her fault.”

Turning about, Daria shook her head as she saw Kevin and Brittany, along with the Fashion Club, all marching into the classroom.

“Enter the angry villagers.” Daria snarked.

“We want our rightful yearbook back!” Sandi demanded, speaking for everyone else in the room.

“It’s not fair for a couple of outsiders to determine the way the yearbook is done!” Brittany protested in a squeaky voice. She then remembered what Elizaveta and Angie were talking about a few days ago, “What about those clubs who got cut?”

“Hey…” Mr. DeMartino’s lips turned up in an evil grin, “Those two ‘outsiders’ came up with a good suggestion. Who cares if it’s fair?”

“Stand your ground!” Quinn commanded, “They can’t make us leave.”

“Hey!” Ted called out, “Why don’t we postpone this discussion until after the sale at Cashmans?”

“Sale?” Quinn’s eyes lit up.

“Cashman's?” Sandi grinned. “We’re outta here!”

Looking at each other and then at their rapidly departing friends, Stacy and Tiffany rolled their eyes.

“Come on, Tiffany.” Stacy groaned, “They’ll get suspicious if we don’t hurry after them.”

“Yeah.” Tiffany nodded her head, “Let’s go.”

“Not so fast!” Kevin exclaimed, “I’m not leaving until I get results.”

“Shall we settle it with a grip contest?” Ted suggested as he held out his hand.

“What’s that?” Kevin replied as he instinctively took the other boys hand in his to shake it.

Ted then twisted the quarterback’s arm causing him to cry out in pain. “Ow! The geek’s hurting me! Ow!”

“Let go of my Kevvie you big bully!” Brittany cried out as Ted released Kevin.

“Babe?” Brittany questioned as she led her boyfriend out of the room, “Are you all right? Did that creep hurt you?”

“Good trick.” Daria remarked approvingly.

“Isometric exercises.” Ted answered back. “I’ve been doing them since age ten.

“You know…” Daria suggested, “I was thinking that this once we could bend our yearbook only policy and go out for pizza once we get things cleaned up here.”

“Pizza?” Ted exclaimed, “I’ve never had pizza.”

“Let’s get things cleaned up.” Daria replied, “And I’ll introduce you to it.”

 

“What the hell happened?” Angie exclaimed as she and the other cheerleaders saw Brittany leading an obviously hurt Kevin away from the classroom, uttering soothing words to him as she did so.

“That creep hurt my Kevvie!” Brittany cried as she fell into her best friend’s arms.

Hugging her friend, Angie asked, “What happened?”

“He twisted Kevvie’s arm!” Brittany sobbed, “I thought he was going to hurt him bad.”

“Kevin?” Elizaveta asked in a deceptively calm voice, “You didn’t say or do anything that he might have thought was threatening…did you?”

“No.” Kevin shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Ok, Kevin…” Elizaveta patiently questioned, “Tell us what happened and take your time…I want to be sure I’m getting everything right.”

“I told them that I wasn’t leaving until I got results.” Kevin recalled, “And then that geek said he wanted to settle it with a grip contest. He then held out his hand. I thought that we were going to shake hands and then maybe see who had the better grip. But then he twisted my arm! I didn’t do anything! Honest!”

“We believe you, Kevin.” Elizaveta replied as she gave the quarterback a kiss on his cheek. She then turned to the rest of the cheerleaders, “Girls…it’s time for the first team to be heard. Ready?”

“Let’s do this, baby!” Angie exclaimed as she walked up next to her girlfriend. “You all ready?”

“Let’s do it!” Nikki declared, speaking for the other cheerleaders.

“All right, girls.” Elizaveta commanded, “Let’s kick some ass.”

 

At once spotting the angry cheerleaders led by her step-sister and her girlfriend entering the room, Daria quipped, “Looks like the second wave’s here.”

Pausing a quarter of the way into the room, Elizaveta looked at Ted and flashed him a sweet smile, “I hear you like grip contests Ted.” She then held out her hand as she maintained her smile. “Let’s see how firm a grip you have.”

“Careful, Ted.” Daria cautioned.

“Umm…I don’t think I should…” Ted demurred, “I mean it wouldn’t be chivalrous.”

“It’s just a gripping contest.” Elizaveta smiled, “Come on…show me what you’ve got.”

“Don’t do it, Ted.” Daria advised.

“Afraid of a little girl?” The blonde cheerleader mocked, “But a little while ago you were ready to tear the arm off of someone just for standing up to you. Wow…you’re a real man…NOT.”

“Elizaveta…” Daria pleaded.

“Shut up dead girl!” Angie angrily snapped. “Or you’re next.”

Sensing that the other cheerleaders in the room, including Jeannette, were smelling blood, Daria, for once, kept her sarcastic tongue firmly in its place as she remained silent.

“So…Mr. Bully…what do you say…take my hand.” Elizaveta challenged.

“If you insist.” Ted replied in a grim voice as he reached for Elizaveta’s hand. Then, before he knew it, he was on the floor looking up at the ceiling with Elizaveta looking down at him smiling triumphantly. “Aikido.” 

“Our work here’s done girls.” Elizaveta declared as Daria knelt down next to the fallen Ted. Then, giving Mr DeMartino a quick glance, she announced, “Plan B.”

Exiting the classroom, Elizaveta and the rest of the girls marched down to Ms. Barch’s classroom. Seeing the science teacher sitting behind her desk, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in an evil grin. “He’s all yours Ms. Barch.”

 

“I found out why no one’s talking to us.” Jane declared in a morose voice as she and Daria walked down the hallway.

“Why?” Daria inquired.

“We’ve been frozen out.” Jane announced.

“Frozen out? What the hell does that mean?” Daria exclaimed.

“It means that as far as everyone else is concerned, we don’t exist.” Jane answered back.

“So what?” Daria shrugged her shoulders, “How’s today different from any other day?”

“Before…” Jane patiently explained, “Some people would talk to us like your step-sister, Angie, Jodie, Mack, Jeannette, and Eddie. Now…not even Andrea or Upchuck will say a word to us. As far as everyone else is concerned, we’re dead.”

“So that’s why Angie called me dead girl.” Daria nodded her head as the pieces fell into place.

“Quinn called me the same thing. That’s what first got me thinking.” Jane replied, “And then Trent got me thinking some more…” She said as she spotted Burnout Girl hobbling down the hallway on crutches.

“Thinking what?” Daria asked.

“Thinking I need to do something.” Jane decided, “I’ll be back, Daria.”

Approaching the blonde girl, Jane hung her head down as she spoke, “Jennifer? Umm…I’m sorry about what happened. I should have paid more attention and I shouldn’t have walked away from you like that. I’m sorry…I’m really sorry.”

Jennifer managed a shaky smile. “Monique told me that she talked to Trent and told him about it. It’s over and done with. I’m getting better. I am kinda disappointed in you. We might not have been friends…but I never considered us to be enemies. I never imagined you’d be so thoughtless or cruel. I think you better go now.” The blonde girl said in a sad voice, “I’ll ask the others to unfreeze you.”

Returning to her friend, Jane declared in a firm voice, “Your turn, amiga.”

“My turn to do what?” Daria snorted.

“Apologize.” Jane replied. “You know…that thing you do when you tell someone you’re sorry for being an ass.”

“I’m not apologizing.” Daria snapped back defiantly.

“Either you apologize…” Jane threatened, “Or I’ll be freezing you out with everyone else.”

“You wouldn’t.” Daria responded.

“Yes…I will.” Jane flatly responded, then added encouragingly, “Come on…are you afraid of eating a little crow? You know we were wrong. What about those ethics of yours?”

“Fine.” Daria growled, “I’ll do it.” Approaching Jennifer, she cleared her throat. “Hey…I’m sorry about leaving you and you falling down. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

“I know you don’t mean it.” Jennifer answered back with a frown. “I can hear it in your voice. That comes with being a musician—especially a vocalist—your ear is attuned to shades and meanings in sounds. Don’t worry. I’ll tell the others that your apology was real and ask them to unfreeze you.” She then shook her head, “You know…we were in the same self-esteem class at the beginning of the year. I was kinda hoping that you would sit next to me instead of Jane. I thought we could have been friends. But now…after seeing what you’re like…I’m glad you did sit next to Jane. I don’t think I’d like you as a friend. You’re not a very nice person—just like her. You two deserve each other.” With that parting shot, Burnout Girl closed her locker and hobbled away towards class.

“She’s right.” Daria declared in a glum voice to her friend as she watched the injured girl hobble off. ‘I’m not a very nice person.”

“Maybe not right now.” Jane replied, “But I’m not very nice either. We can try to do better though.”

“How do we do that?” Daria asked.

“Baby steps, amiga.” Jane smiled, “Baby steps.”

 

“Where’s Elizaveta?” Daria asked as she returned to her home after school.

“Spending the weekend with Angie.” Helen replied, “Why?”

“Her and the others got their way.” Daria shook her head. “Mr. DeMartino’s restoring the clubs and activities to the yearbook.”

“What about the charities and volunteer groups?” Helen asked.

“They’re keeping them.’ Daria replied. “But the price of the yearbook’s going up to compensate.”

“Not unreasonable.” Helen responded. “You know…if you went along with Elizaveta’s compromise to begin with, it would have saved a lot of trouble for all concerned.”

“Yeah…take her side like you always do.” Daria grumbled under her breath.

“What was that dear?” Helen asked.

“Nothing, Mom.” Daria replied.

“So…how’s yearbook going, kiddo?” Jake inquired.

“I had to resign from yearbook.” Daria answered back, “It was a question of ethics.”

Sighing, Helen shook her head, “Well…at least you stuck it out for a week.”

“I kept up my end of the deal.” Daria declared, “Where’s my webpage software?”

“We laid it on the kitchen table for you, kiddo.” Jake replied with a grin.

Looking into the kitchen, Daria called back, “Where? I don’t see it.”

“We left it there this morning.” Helen replied.

“Quinn.” Daria muttered under her breath as she stomped up the stairs. Barging into her younger sister’s room, the already irritated teen growled, “Where’s my webpage software?”

“Oh!” Quinn exclaimed innocently, “That was yours? I thought it was mine. I had a techie friend of mine install it and set up the page.” Glancing at the hit counter, she crowed. “My web page just had twenty-five hundred hits in the past three hours!”

“I can beat that.” Daria sneered.

“But you don’t even have a webpage.” Quinn responded.

“No…” Daria replied as she slowly and menacingly approached her sister, “But I can hit.”

 

“So…szereto…” Elizaveta purred as she lay pinioned underneath her girlfriend. “Now that you’ve got me…what are you going to do with me?”

“This!” Angie growled sensuously.

“Oh…yes…szereto…yes…”


	22. Chapter 22

“I guess our pariah status still hasn’t been completely revoked.” Daria deadpanned as she and Jane stopped off at their lockers.

“I guess not.” Jane responded as Shaggy passed them by without saying a word. “Wonder how long it’ll take…”

“Who cares.” Daria shrugged her shoulders. Then her gaze falling on Ted who was at that moment laughing and joking with Robert and Shawn, she remarked, “He doesn’t seem to have suffered too much after-effects from the yearbook fiasco.”

“I guess people figured that him getting decked by Elizaveta was punishment enough.” Jane quipped and then pointed towards where Elizaveta and Angie were exchanging yearbooks with other students to be signed. “And now we have the ritual signing of the class yearbooks. Notice you didn’t bring yours.” The artist’s lips turned up in a smirk.

“Where’s yours.” Daria riposted, “Besides…what’s the point? You get someone who probably didn’t say ten words to you throughout the school year to sign their name on their picture. Then you take that book and put it on a shelf and forget about it for the next fifty years. I just decided to cut out the first part and go straight to the part where I put it in the closet and forget about it. Besides…I didn’t want to buy the damned thing anyway. Mom bought it.”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Jane sighed as she felt the weight of her yearbook in her backpack. “Besides not like there’s a big rush of people wanting us to sign their yearbooks anyway.”

“You two weren’t really expecting everything to go back to the way it was…were you?”

Turning about, Jane’s face reflected her surprise at seeing the Goth student standing next to her. “Andrea? Since when do you talk to us?”

“Since no one else is.” Andrea responded, “But if you’d rather…”

“No…” Jane quickly shook her head, “It’s ok…I was just taken by surprise. So…why aren’t people talking to us? I thought the freeze out had been called off.”

“It was.” Andrea nodded her head. “But one ‘awww shit’…”

“Wipes out ten atta girls.” Jane finished.

“Right.” Andrea nodded her head. “Give it time.” She consoled, “People should start talking to you in a few days or so.” The Goth girl then cautioned, “Just don’t expect things to go back to the way they were. Jennifer’s liked by a lot of people here on both sides of the popularity tracks. She’s one of the few here who can cross that line between them…” she said, pointing to Elizaveta and Angie and the group gathered around them that now included Kevin and Brittany and Mack and Jodie as well as Jennifer, still on crutches, “….and us on the other side of the fence because of her connection with the Harpies. You pissed off a lot of people. Some are more willing to forgive more quickly than others.”

“And some might not ever forgive.” Jane grumbled morosely.

“Who cares about them.” Daria snipped. “We said we were sorry. What more do they want?”

“Right.” Andrea agreed. “That’s their issue…not yours. You finally owned up to what you did and took your lumps. As far as I’m concerned, that ends the matter.” Closing her locker she left with a few parting words of encouragement, “Well…good luck to you both.”

 

“Thank you, Sandi.” Quinn said with a plastic smile on her face as she exchanged yearbooks with her Fashion Club frenemy, both girls writing polite, yet insincere messages for the other. “Here you go…Tiffany.” Quinn said, her smile now a bit more genuine as she handed her yearbook to the young Eurasian girl after getting it back from Sandi. Pass it on to Stacy after you’ve signed it.”

“Me next!” Joey called out.

“No me!” Jeffie exclaimed.

“Me…Quinn!” Jaime shouted.

“Boys…boys…” Quinn smirked as she saw the steam almost literally coming out of Sandi’s ears, “You’ll all get your chance. Tell you what…the first one of you who brings me a soda gets to sign it first.” The redhead’s smirk grew wider as all three boys began to trip up and elbow each other as they raced to fulfill their mistress’s request.

“The end of the year popularity rankings are in.” Tori Jericho announced as she approached the Fashion Club.

“Where do we stand?” Quinn inquired as she tried to hide the butterflies in her stomach.

“Congratulations Quinn…Sandi…” Tori announced, “You two are tied for most popular girls in the freshman class. Skylar Feldman is the most popular boy!”

“All right!” Quinn exclaimed, exulting in sharing the top status with her fellow Fashion Club member. “Isn’t that great, Sandi? We’re tied for number one.”

“Yes, Quinn.” Sandi responded, plastering on a smile to hide her disappointment at having to share the honor.

“Where are we standing?” Stacy asked.

“Congratulations Stacy…Tiffany…you’re both in the top five.” Tori reported, “And Jeannette is in the top twenty along with Eddie.”

“All right!” Stacy and Tiffany both hugged each other as Quinn and Sandi offered congratulations.

“That’s pretty good for Jeannette to make it to the top twenty like that.” Quinn noted. 

“It is.” Tori agreed, “It’s almost unheard of for someone to rise from unpopular to the top twenty within a year.” Politely ignoring the effects of the Chez Pierre date that resulted in the young artist crossing the popularity line to begin with, Tori commented further, “Her becoming a cheerleader, getting involved in other club activities that increased her exposure, and being seen at school and at parties with popular sophomores gave her the boost she needed to break the ceiling.”

“Her fashion sense has improved.” Sandi noted approvingly. “If she were to get rid of that horrible tinting in her hair, she would be a good candidate for membership in the Fashion Club.”

“What about the sophomores?” Quinn then asked.

“Jodie and Mack are both number one in their categories.” Tori announced, “With Elizaveta and Angie both in the top five along with Kevin and Brittany. Congratulations on your sister making it to such a high level in her first year here—and you as well, Quinn.” Laughing inwardly at how Quinn preened at the praise while at the same time, Sandi seethed, Tori continued her report. “Her efforts in helping to get the clubs and activities restored to the yearbook gave her the push she needed to break into the top five—although she would have most likely finished in the top ten anyway. Nikki and Lisa are both up there as well among the girls.”

“Who’s at the bottom?” Stacy asked curiously.

“Sitting at the bottom are…in order from higher to lower: Andrea…Upchuck…Jane Lane…and at the very bottom…” Tori paused for a moment to build suspense before reporting, “Quinn’s ‘cousin’.” She reported, the scare quotes evident in her voice. “Prior to the freeze out, those two were in the upper portions of unpopular with Jane Lane close to the line between unpopular and recognized. Had the incident not happened, she most likely would have crossed that line this year.”

“That’s too bad about Jane.” Stacy noted sadly as Tiffany nodded her head in agreement.

“To be so close…” The Eurasian teen remarked in the slow drawl she used around others.

“And now they’re lower than Upchuck.” Sandi smirked, “That’s a big tumble.”

“Yes it is.” Tori observed, “A good object lesson.” She remarked in a cautionary tone as she departed, “It’s a lot easier to go from popular to unpopular than to rise from unpopular to popular.”

 

After signing each other’s yearbooks, Angie and Elizaveta both felt a hand on each of their shoulders. “They’ve paid for what they did. Don’t you think it’s time to let it go?” Mack said as his eyes focused on Daria and Jane standing alone in front of their lockers.

“What do you think, baby?” Angie asked in a low voice.

“I think it is.” Elizaveta replied with a single nod of her head. “Come on, szereto.”

As the pair walked towards the two outcasts, The football captain smiled and nodded his head approvingly.

“You’re a sweetheart, Mack.” Jodie whispered as she gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

Approaching her sister, Elizaveta held out her yearbook. “Would you and Jane like to sign it?”

“Here, Jane.” Angie smiled, “Would you sign my yearbook and then pass it on to Daria.”

Without saying a word, Daria, seeing the gesture for what it was—a peace offering, signed her sister’s yearbook, writing just her name and nothing else and then passed it on to Jane who also signed it after first signing Angie’s before passing it on to her friend who repeated the procedure. “Thanks.” Both blondes said with a smile on their face and then turned to walk away only to have Jane call them back.

“Wait a moment.” Jane requested as she rooted around in her backpack and then withdrew her yearbook, much to her amiga’s surprise. “I guess you can sign mine if you want.”

After signing Jane’s yearbook, both Angie and Elizaveta nodded their heads, “We’ll see you later.”

As the two blondes departed, Jane noticed the questioning look her friend was giving her, “So? I guess I’m one of those people who might want to look back forty or fifty years from now and see what a bunch of people I haven’t seen in a long time wrote about me. Sue me.” Then, as the bell rang, she remarked, ‘We better get to class.”

 

_**Wretchboro Baptist Church** _

“It is my grave duty to inform you, my brothers and sisters, that the devil has come into a high school in the form of homosexuality! A God-fearing young man called me and told me that two openly homosexual teenage girls were attending his high school!”

“NO!” The congregation murmured, “It’s the Devil’s doing!”

“Yes, it is the Devil’s doing!” The pastor bellowed, “These two filthy harlots—these Jezebels—these Salomes—are permitted by the school authorities—the ones who are supposed to watch over and protect our children—to openly attend their school and parade their sick and degenerate lifestyle for all to see!”

“NO!” The congregation shouted.

“We will not let this abomination continue! We will not let them infect our young with their filth!” The minister declared, slamming his Bible on the podium. “We are going to go there and do God’s work. We are going to drive the Devil’s agents away! God hates fags!”

“GOD HATES FAGS!” The congregation shouted.

“GOD HATES FAGS!” The preacher repeated in a louder voice.

“GOD HATES FAGS!” The congregation shouted even louder.

Seeing that he had succeeded in whipping his congregation into a frenzy, the preacher commanded. “The two harlots are performing in a pagan dance at their school.” As the congregation again began to murmur, “That’s right! We all know that the public school system is nothing more than a nest of evil! We are going to crush the head of the serpent! We are going to Lawndale—the heart of the corruption and fill them with God’s Word! Can I get an amen?”

“Amen, preacher!” A voice called out.

“Amen!” More voices called out.

“AMEN!” The entire congregation shouted in unison.

“Go my brothers and sisters!” The pastor exhorted, “We must get ready to do God’s work!”

 

_**Oakwood: The Carbone Household** _

“Hey, Elizaveta!” Jim exclaimed as he spoke into the phone. “No…I didn’t forget about the end of the year recital. A party after the show? I think I can make it—I gotta run it through my folks first though. They’re invited too. Ok, I’ll tell ‘em. Oh…Chis just got home today. Yeah…I’ll tell him he’s invited too. Tell Angie I said Hi…She did? Tell her I’m doing ok…No, I haven’t found anyone yet. No…I’m not giving up hope. Thanks. See ya then! Bye!”

“Who was that, Jim?” Chris asked as he entered the living room.

“That was Elizaveta.” Jim answered back. “Remember me telling you about how I met her and her girlfriend, Angie on the way to Alternapalooza?”

“She’s the Hungarian one…right?” Chris asked.

“Yeah.” Jim replied with a nod of his head. 

“Pussy can’t get a real girl so he hangs out with a pair of lesbos.” Tony grunted as he finished off the can of beer by his side. “Wonder which one plays the man.”

Ignoring his father, Jim said, “She called to remind me about the end of year dance recital they’re having at Lawndale High. Her and Angie are the lead dancers. She also invited all of us to the after show party.”

“That’s nice of them.” Gina remarked as she entered the room.

“We’re not going all the way to Lawndale just to watch a pair of dykes dance.” Tony growled as he popped the top to another beer.

“You can stay here if you want to, but we’re going with or without you, Tony.” Gina declared. “Besides…” She honeyed her words, “I hear that Danny and a few of the boys from the VFW post are going to be there too.”

“That cowboy.” Tony scowled, “Man got a Purple Heart and Silver Star in ‘Nam and got an invite to join Delta Squad like I did and the wuss turned it down. Said he did his part for Uncle Sam and just wanted to go home to his wife. Chicken shit. Won’t even let anyone see his medals—hides them in his desk drawer. It’s like he’s ashamed of ‘em or something. I killed a hundred gooks and I’m damn proud of it. That cowboy’s got almost as high a body count as I do, but he just goes on saying he’s sorry he had to do it. Says he hopes his boy doesn’t ever have to see a day of combat. Wuss!”

“You know he’s not ashamed, Tony.” Gina shook her head, “He just thinks that he did what he had to do, just like everyone else who went over there did—just like you did. Yeah, he feels bad about it and he doesn’t want his son to have to go through the same thing—something I can relate to—I don’t want Chris or Jim to ever go through what you two did.” Pointing to the kitchen, she commanded, “Boys…dinner’s ready. Better eat before it gets cold. You too, Tony.”

As they made their way to the kitchen, Chis gave his brother a friendly slap on the back of his shoulders, “I can’t wait to meet your friends.”

 

_**The Morgendorffer House** _

“Thanks for letting me stay over Mr. and Mrs. Morgendorffer.” Angie grinned as she entered the house with her girlfriend. “Mom says she should be done helping Aunt Ellie and back home by the time of the show. She said that wild horses couldn’t keep her away.”

“Not a problem, Angie!” Jake, wearing his cooking apron and chef’s hat grinned, “You’re part of the family now.”

“Yeah, sweetie.” Helen smiled, “You two get settled in. Dinner should be ready soon.”

“Better hurry!” Jake exclaimed, “We’re having chicken fajitas tonight.”

“Thanks, Mr. Morgendorffer.” Angie replied as she gave her girlfriend a pleading look.

“Antacid’s in my room.” Elizaveta whispered as the pair climbed up the stairs. Reaching the top of the stairs, they saw Quinn exiting her room. “Hey Quinn.” Elizaveta smiled at her sister, “Angie’s going to be staying over for a few days while her anya helps her sister out with some stuff. Don’t worry…” Her lips turned up in a crooked grin, “We won’t forget to lock the door this time.”

Laughing nervously, Quinn teased back, “That’s ok…I got earplugs in case you get loud again.”

“I’m not loud…” Elizaveta mock pouted, “I’m just very…enthusiastic.”

“Baby…” Angie playfully teased, “You’re a screamer.” She then nibbled her girlfriend’s ear, “I like loud and dirty.”

“Get a room you two.” Quinn rolled her eyes as she made her way down the stairs.

“You heard your sister, baby.” Angie quipped.

“Come on, szereto.” Elizaveta smirked, “We’ll have time to fool around later.”

“I’m going to hold you to that promise.” Angie smiled as she took her girlfriend’s hand. “Let’s   
get situated.”

“Then we get to play Russian Roulette with apa’s cooking.” Elizaveta quipped, rolling her eyes.

“So…what are your summer plans, Angie?” Helen asked as everyone gathered around the   
television to watch the news.

“Well…we got summer dance sessions and I’m looking for a summer job.” Angie replied,  
receiving in return an approving smile from Helen.

“Any leads yet?” Jake inquired.

“Yeah.” Angie answered back. “Mom’s getting me a job working as a cashier at Cashman's.

“That’s great!” Helen exclaimed, “And how’s your job search going, Elizaveta?”

“I think I’ve got a job lined up at the bookstore in the mall.” Elizaveta answered back. “They   
want me to come in for a second interview when school ends.”

“That’s a good sign.” Jake nodded his head. “That means they’ve narrowed it down to just a couple of candidates. They want to see how you do in an interview—probably to gauge whether you can deal with difficult customers.”

“Anya?” Elizaveta inquired, “I was wondering if I could get your help in picking out a good outfit to wear for the interview.”

“I can help you!” Quinn quickly volunteered. 

“She needs to wear something that looks professional, dear.” Helen answered back, “Not what’s currently in style.” Then turning to her step-daughter, the auburn-haired lawyer smiled, “Of course I can. You’ve got a pretty good wardrobe now. We’ll probably be able to find something that’ll work and if we need to accessorize, we can go shopping.”

_“Our lead story in this evening’s news…”_ The news anchor came on as the television screen   
showed a handcuffed man in a white lab coat being led away by police. _“Dr. James Calan, Chief of Staff at Lawndale Evergreen Sanitarium has been arrested on multiple counts of patient abuse and sexual abuse of minors.”_

“My God!” Helen exclaimed as her hand came to her mouth in shock, “This is…”

_“Dr. Calan is accused of using a combination of manipulative techniques and psychotropic drugs as part of a continual cycle of abuse.”_ The news anchor reported. _“These allegations came to light following a sting operation launched by the State Attorney’s Office. State Attorney Sullivan had this to say…”_

“That’s the same state attorney who handled our case with Dr. Shar!” Angie exclaimed as she at once recognized the prosecutor.

As she got a good look at the handcuffed doctor’s face as he was being led away, Daria’s heart froze as a cold chill ran up and down her spine.

“Are you all right, kiddo?” Jake, seeing his daughter’s reaction to the TV footage, inquired.

“Ummm…yeah.” Daria replied in a low voice, “I’m fine. I just…you know that feeling you get when it feels like someone’s walking on your grave?”

“Uhhh…yeah.” Jake responded with a worried look.

“For a moment…” Daria said in a quiet voice, “That’s what I felt like when I saw him. I thought…but no…” She shook her head, “I’ve never seen him before now.”

“Of course not, dear.” Helen replied, “We’d never take any of you to a monster like that.”

_“We are confident that the case we have against Dr. Calan is conclusive. There will be no plea bargains in this instance. Dr. Calan will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”_

“Good.” Jake nodded his head, “That bastard should be thrown under the jail.”

“I’ve got a feeling he won’t have any problems making friends in his new home.” Daria grunted, once again feeling a cold chill run up and down her spine. “I’m sure there’s more than one inmate at the state pen looking for a new girlfriend.”

“What a creep!” Quinn exclaimed, her disgust evident in her facial expression, “I hope they lock the door and throw away the key.”

“You know…” Helen shook her head, “There are times I wish I weren’t so opposed to capital punishment. If anyone deserves to fry, it’s monsters like him.”

“How do places like that stay in business?” Elizaveta asked.

“I’ve heard of those type of places.” Helen shook her head sadly. “They’re places where families with money can put relatives or children that are too…embarrassing for their image or that might threaten their status.” She then looked kindly on Elizaveta and Angie as she spoke, “Sometimes…the only reason they’re institutionalized is because they’re gay and their parents don’t want their friends and associates to know.”

“Isn’t that illegal?” Elizaveta asked in a shocked voice.

“Yes.” Helen nodded her head, “But there are ways around it. Some law firms have specialists that help to ensure that the legal paperwork for commitment is solid and…make sure the appropriate payouts are made to the right people.” 

“Some families send their gay kids to ‘conversion camps’.” Angie grumbled, “I’ve heard stories about those places. Reeducation or concentration camp would be a better description of them, although I’m partial to calling them gulags. They try to ‘straighten you out’. Of course, it doesn’t work that way; all they end up doing is they mess that poor person up to the point where they end up junkies or killing themselves or...” She shook her head before her lips turned up in a warm smile. “I’m glad I’ve got a great mom and good friends.”

“You’ve never had to do anything like that…have you, Mom?” Quinn asked, her question as much a plea as an inquiry.

“No dear.” Helen’s lips turned up in a sad smile. “I’ve had to take on some pretty crappy…and creepy…clients as a lawyer…it’s a part of what you do when you specialize in almost any kind of law. There are times I’ve had to come home and take a shower after talking to a client—I felt so dirty. But I’ve never done anything like that and I made it clear to Eric when I came on board here that I would not be party to such a thing and that if I ever got wind of it going on at the firm, he’d have my resignation on the spot and that after that, my next stop would be the bar to file a complaint and then the state attorney’s office.”

“Good for you, Mrs. M!” Angie exclaimed and then asked, “What did your bosses say?”

“They said they didn’t engage in that sort of legal practice and wouldn’t permit it.” Helen answered back. “But I keep my eyes and ears open and Marianne touches base with the other secretaries just to be sure.”

The reporter continued his narrative, _“Prior to taking his position at Lawndale Evergreen, Dr. Calan was employed at Cedars of Lawndale until evidence came to light that he was suspected of misconduct and malpractice at institutions he had worked at previously. Dr. Edward Cochrane, Chief of Psychiatric Care at Cedars of Lawndale delivered this press statement:”_ A distinguished looking middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and wearing a dark blue two-piece suit appeared before the camera. _“Dr. Calan was employed very briefly on a probationary basis by us a couple of years ago. During that probationary period, he was under constant supervision. Once we were appraised of certain allegations of misconduct, we immediately discharged him. I assure you that we made sure that any patients that might have been under his care were evaluated as to possible abuse, but we found no such cases. We wish to assure everyone in our community that Cedars of Lawndale is devoted to the care and treatment of all our patients. Incidents of misconduct or abuse will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Thank you.”_

The news reporter then closed out, _“We’ll have further developments in this ongoing case as they arise. Now for our next item…Wretchboro Baptist Church was again at the center of controversy because of its disruption of the President’s speech regarding the new ‘Don’t ask…Don’t tell’ policy enacted within all branches of the US military as regards homosexual personnel currently serving on active, reserved, or retired status.”_

“Bunch of morons.” Angie growled as they all watched the mob carrying signs reading God Hates Fags and Fags Go to Hell and other slogans. “Mouth breathers.” 

“Well…” Helen sighed as she hugged both Angie and Elizaveta, “…hopefully they’ll stay far away from us.”

“They better.” Elizaveta grumbled as she gazed into her lover’s eyes, “If anyone ever tries to hurt you, my fist hitting their face will be the last thing they see.”

“Same here, baby.” Angie whispered back.

 

“As this is our LAST day of CLASSES!” Mr. DeMartino declared from the front of his classroom, I’m sure you ALL are interested in your final GRADES!” His lips turned up in an evil grin as he handed out the graded final exams. Your CLASS grade is the one CIRCLED in BLUE. The one CIRCLED in RED is your EXAM grade. I hope MOST of YOU have a GOOD summer. SOME of you…” He then grinned evilly at Kevin and Brittany, “WILL be SEEING me this SUMMER to MAKE UP your FAILING grade.” As the last exam was handed out, he announced, ‘Class DISMISSED!”

As the students filed out of the classroom, they showed each other their grades. “So…szereto…” Elizaveta asked, “What did you get?”

“An A.” Angie grinned. “What about you, baby?”

“A minus.” Elizaveta smiled as she gave her lover a kiss on the cheek, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“B minus.” Jane remarked, “Well…it beats a C.” She then lowered her voice, “Thanks Angie…and I’m really am sorry about what happened.”

“I know.” Angie whispered back, “It’s over and done with now…water under the bridge and all that.”

“I wish someone would tell Monique and the rest of the Harpies that.” Jane sighed, “They’re still not talking to me.”

“Awww man!” Kevin whined, “I gotta go to summer school.”

“I do too.” Brittany sobbed.

“It’s only six weeks.” Angie consoled, “And me and Elizaveta will help you two through it.”

“You will?” Brittany looked up and smiled.

“Of course.” Elizaveta responded, “That’s what friends are for.”

“I have your final grades here, class.” Mr. O’Neill said as he began to hand out the final exams. “Most of you did very well…but some of you…” His face drooped slightly as it looked like he was about to cry, “…well…” The smile returned to his face, “…there’s always summer school so don’t lose hope.” Then, after the last exam was given out, he announced “I hope everyone has a great summer and there are still counselor positions open for the “It’s Ok to Cry Corral” if anyone’s interested.

“So…what did you get, baby?” Angie asked as she showed her girlfriend the A on her paper.

“B plus.’ Elizaveta grinned, “Not bad.” Then, seeing Brittany exiting the classroom with her boyfriend, she called out, “Hey Britt…Kevin…how’d you do?”

“I got a C!” Brittany smiled broadly as she showed off her grade. “Thanks guys! You were a big help.’

“You did a lot of that yourself, Britt.” Angie smiled proudly as she hugged her friend. Then, turning to Kevin she asked, “How’d you do?”

“D.” Kevin moaned.

“Hey…look at this way.” Angie grinned, “It’s not an F.”

“Hey! That’s right!” Kevin cheered as he pumped his fist triumphantly. “I passed!”

“Well…that’s it then.” Jodie grinned as they all filed out of their last period class, Ms. Barch’s science class. “So how did everyone do?”

“I squeaked by with a C plus.” Mack shook his head.

“That sucks.” Jodie growled, “Any other teacher, you’d have gotten a B…B plus easy. What about you Elizaveta?”

“A plus.” The young Hungarian grinned. “I think I got extra points for decking Ted though.” Then, turning to her girlfriend, she asked, “What did you get, szereto?”

“B plus!” Angie all but shouted in glee as she hugged her lover, giving her a big kiss on the lips. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

“So…celebration at the Pizza King?” Mack inquired.

“We’ll be by later.” Angie replied, “Dance practice. We’re doing a final run through for the recital tomorrow night. Got to be sure everything’s just right.”

“Sounds good. We should still be there.” The football captain grinned, “Well…see you girls!”

“Ok…this is just going to be a simple walkthrough.” Claire announced as she clapped her hands to get her dancers’ attention. “I don’t want to risk any muscle pulls or injuries before tomorrow so you girls get plenty of rest and relax.” Nodding her head in approval as the dancers walked through their routines, Claire clapped her hands once again. “I think we’re ready for the real thing tomorrow. You girls take it easy and I’ll see you tomorrow!” Then, waving to her lead dancers, the fine arts teacher called out, “Angie…Elizaveta…can I see you for a moment?”

“Sure Ms. Defoe.” Both girls answered as they approached their teacher, “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to check to see how you were holding up. It’s been an eventful few weeks.” She remarked with a sigh.

“We’re fine, Claire.” The two responded once they were sure they were alone with the teacher, “How are you doing.”

“Good.” Claire answered back with a smile, “Antonio’s going to be in town for the show.”

“That’s great!” Elizaveta replied with a grin of her own. “So…any plans for afterwards?

“You might say we have some plans…” Claire said with a crooked grin. “How about you two?”

“We’ve got some plans too.” Angie smirked.

“I see.” Claire chuckled. “Well…you two take it easy—I want my lead dancers rested and ready to go for the show.”

“Count on it!” Both girls responded with a wave goodbye, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Hi Mom!” Angie smiled as she rushed up to hug her mother. “How’s Aunt Ellie?”

“She’s fine, dear.” Jessica replied as she returned her daughter’s hug and then gave Elizaveta a hug. Speaking to the Morgendorffers, Mrs. Harmon grinned, “Thanks for taking in Angie.”

“No problem.” Jake smiled back, “Like I told her, as far as we’re concerned, you and Angie are part of the family now.”

“Well you girls ready?” Jessica asked as she looked the two dancers over, “This is your big night.”

“We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be.” Both girls responded as they put their bags containing their costumes in the back of Angie’s mother’s car. “Mr. Barrows called and said that he and his wife are going to be there and that Danny Jr.’s going to be there too..” Angie said as she got in the passenger’s seat while Elizaveta sat down in the back.

“And Jim said that him and his family are coming too.” Elizaveta announced as the Morgendorffers all got into the Lexus.

“That’s great, honey.” Jessica replied and then called out to the Morgendorffers, “We’ll see you at the school.”

Pulling into the school parking lot, the Morgendorffers and Harmons immediately noticed a pair of busses with the logo Wretchboro Baptist Church stenciled on the sides and group of people gathered together at the edge of the parking lot.

“I wonder what’s going on here?” Jessica asked as she and the Barbies got out of the car.

“That’s the name of that stupid church isn’t it?” Elizaveta asked, pointing at the sign, “The one that hates homosexuals?”

“Yeah.” Angie grimaced, “I wonder what they’re doing here. We’re a long way from Kansas. It must have taken them all week to get here.”

“Well…I guess we’ll find out.” Helen sighed as she pointed to the clump of people. “I think I recognize Brittany and Kevin.”

“And there’s Jane.” Daria pointed out.

“And I see the Fashion Club.” Quinn smiled as she waved at her fellow club members who waved back to her.

“Well…let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.” Elizaveta suggested as the group made its way towards the clump of people milling about.

“Hey, Jim.” Chris nudged his brother’s side with his elbow, “Is that your friends?” He asked, pointing to the blonde girls approaching, each of them carrying gym bags slung over their shoulders.

“Yeah.” Jim nodded his head, “That’s them. He then called out, “Mom…Dad…the girls are here.”

“Great!” Gina smiled, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting them.”

“Dykes.” Tony muttered as he took out a small flask from his hip pocket and took a big swallow of the bourbon that it contained.

“Behave yourself, Tony.” Gina begged, “Please.”

At once recognizing Jim, Elizaveta waved and called out, “Hey Jim! Glad you could make it!”

“Hi Jim!” Angie also called out as she and her girlfriend walked together hand-in-hand to greet their friend with Jessica and the Morgendorffers following close behind.

“Hey, girls.” Jim smiled as he walked up to meet the girls, giving them both a friendly hug.

“This is my Mom.” Angie said, introducing Jessica to the young teen whose own family was now approaching.

“And this is my anya and my apa.” Elizaveta smiled as she introduced Helen and Jake, “And I think you’ve already met Daria and Quinn.”

“Hello.” Daria responded in a flat monotone.

“Ummm…Hi…” Quinn stammered as she tried to keep the butterflies in her stomach down and calm down her racing heart. _Damn! He’s gotten even cuter!_

“Hello.” Jim politely responded as he shook everyone’s hand, his heart also racing as he touched Quinn’s hand. Almost immediately feeling the electricity between them, the two teens smiled shyly at each other. “And here’s my folks. This is my brother, Chris…my mother…and my father.

“Hi.” Chris smiled as he greeted the two blondes only to be distracted by a loud voice.

“Wow! I can’t believe it!”

Turning to the sound of the voice, Chris and the others spotted a dark-haired boy wearing a Lawndale High jersey and a blonde girl wearing a Lawndale cheerleader’s outfit.

“You’re Chris Carbone!” Kevin exclaimed with a big grin on his face, “You’re QB for the Nittany Lions!”

“Backup quarterback.” Chris corrected. “But Coach Paterno says I got a shot at the starting slot next season.”

“All right!” Kevin grinned, “Way to go, my man!”

“Ohhh…” Brittany sighed as she gazed up at the handsome quarterback, “You’re so…”

“Hey, Britt.” Angie quickly interrupted, “What’s going on?”

Giving Angie a slight smile of thanks for the timely interruption, Chris interjected, “Looks like there’s some morons protesting at the front of the school. We’ve been hanging back for now, hoping the cops would clear them out…” He shook his head as he pointed to the policemen hanging back, “They don’t seem to be too interested in doing their jobs.”

“How’re two of my favorite girls doin’?”

Smiling warmly as they caught a whiff of tobacco smoke coming from a pipe and the Texas twang in the man’s voice, the girls both ran up to hug the rugged, mustachioed man holding the pipe.

“Glad you could make it, Mr. Barrows.” Angie grinned and then she hugged Danny’s wife, “Hi Mrs. Barrows.” Then, turning to Danny, she grinned, “Welcome back, Danny. Congrats on graduating and making second lieutenant.”

“Thanks.” Danny Jr, a handsome, physically fit young man in his early twenties with brown hair and an infectious grin, replied, bending over to give Angie a kiss on her cheek, “Good to see you again, Sprite.”

“Sprite?” Elizaveta chuckled.

“Danny was like a big brother to me growing up.” Angie explained as she introduced Elizaveta, “We used to ride together and…get into more than our share of trouble.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Danny Sr. chuckled. “Those two were always getting’ into somethin’ or another.”

“Danny…” Angie smiled, “This is Elizaveta…my girlfriend.”

“So…” Danny Jr. grinned as he took Elizaveta’s hand in his, “You’re the girl that I’ve been hearing so much about. Pleasure to meet you.” He then turned his attention back to his childhood friend, “So…how are the two of you handling everything?”

“Not bad.” Angie replied, “Most of the people here either don’t care or are on our side. We haven’t had to deal with too many morons yet.”

“Well…” Danny Jr. shook his head as he pointed at the demonstrators, “Looks like the morons decided to come here.”

“They’re not going to stop us from putting on our show.” Claire Defoe interjected, her face one of determination as she joined the conversation, her Italian lover standing by her side.

‘Damned right, they’re not.” Elizaveta and Angie both nodded their heads in agreement.

“So…you girls ready to face the angry mob?” Claire quipped with a lopsided grin.

“Let’s go.” Both girls agreed, “We’ve got a show to put on.”

“Looks like they let the mutants out of their cages.” Daria quipped to Jane, pointing to the demonstrators as they joined the others walking towards the school.

“What a pack of fashion don’ts.” Sandi sneered, pointing to the protesters as she and the rest of the Fashion Club also began making their way to the school.

“Hey…” Nikki, Lisa, Jeannette, and the other cheerleaders joined their friends as Eddie soon found himself walking alongside Jim, exchanging stories about hanging out with the Barbies and other things. “Don’t let those dumbasses rattle you.” Nikki said in an encouraging voice as they could now clearly hear what the protesters were shouting and were beginning to get close enough to read the picket signs.

“Long as they keep it peaceful…they got a right to protest.” Danny shook his head, “That’s what I and a bunch of other guys and gals fought for.”

“The operative phrase is keep it peaceful.” Helen grimaced.

“Yeah…not like we didn’t do our share of protesting back in the day against the war.” Jake added, forgetting that there were two Vietnam veterans in his midst.

“Damn commie. You and your kind stabbed us all in the back.” Tony growled as he took another swig of bourbon. “I ought to kick your ass, you pussy.”

“Zip it Tony.” Danny Sr. quickly interrupted, staring the other veteran down. “Now you know why we call him Tony the Mouth at the VFW post.” He whispered to the Harmons and the Morgendorffers. Then speaking louder, he declared, “They had every right to protest what they thought was wrong. That’s what free speech is all about.” He then smiled at Helen, “We might not agree on everything, Ma’am…”

“Yeah…” Helen chuckled, “I kind of figured that out when I saw the Bob Dole bumper sticker on your truck.”

“But that don’t mean we can’t be friends—right…” He said as he held his hand out to Jake and Helen to shake.

“That’s right, my man!” Jake agreed enthusiastically as he shook the cowboy’s hand.

“You’re right.” Helen agreed as she also shook his hand, then added with a crooked grin, “I’m still happy my man won the election though.”

“That’s ok, Ma’am.” Danny Sr. replied with a wink, “We’ll win the next one.” 

“Now it’s going to get good.” Skylar Feldman said to his wingman as the pair walked with everyone else to the front of the school. “That dance recital is as good as trashed.”

“Won’t they just go around the protesters? Brad Phillips asked.

“They can try.” Skylar answered back, his lips turned up in an evil grin. “But I’m betting that the moment those fanatics see those two dykes, all hell’s going to break loose.”

“But won’t the police stop it?”

“Not a chance.” Skylar snickered, “My dad put the word out to the mayor to tell the chief of police to order his officers to stand down. They’re not going to do a thing to interfere or the mayor doesn’t get reelected.”

“Damn…” Brad whistled under his breath, “You thought of everything.”

“Yep.” Skylar smirked, “Now it’s time for payback.”

Unfortunately for Skylar and Brad, their entire conversation was overheard by a blonde girl wearing tattered jeans and a t-shirt hobbling on crutches, being assisted as she walked by her sister. “Those two sons of bitches.” Jennifer aka “Burnout Girl” swore. “We’re not going to let them get away with this, are we Sam?”

“No way in hell.” Samantha agreed, her lips turned up in a grin as she held up a cassette recorder that had recorded the entire conversation. “Come on…I think a lot of people will want to hear this.”

“God hates fags!” Now, they were close enough to clearly hear their chants and read the signs as well as see the protesters.

“Burn in Hell!”

“Jezebels!”

“Whores!”

“Just ignore them.” Claire whispered to her girls. “Walk straight ahead. They’re just words.”

“Hold your heads up, girls!” Jake encouraged, “We love you.”

“Don’t let them stop you.” Daria declared as she frowned at the mob. “You’re better than they are.”

“Go get ’em, Sis!” Quinn encouraged.

“We’re with you.” Both Helen and Jessica smiled down at their daughters.

Walking with their heads held high, their friends by their side, the girls pressed on closer to the mob until an egg, thrown by one of the protesters, hit Elizaveta in the face. The yolk and white running down her face, Elizaveta placed a gentle, yet firm hand on her girlfriend who was reaching down for a rock to throw at the man who hit her girlfriend. “No…szereto…it’s all right.”

“Oh baby.” Angie sobbed as, taking a handkerchief from Helen, she gently wiped the yolk from her girlfriend’s face. “They’re not going to stop us.”

“That’s right, Sprite.” Danny Jr. stated as he glared at the protesters.

“Are you sure?” Claire asked.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Let’s go.”

Then, before they could take more than a couple of steps, another egg was thrown, this one hitting Angie, splattering its contents on her face and hair. “No, baby.” Angie smiled as she restrained her lover, “It’s only an egg.”

“Here…” Elizaveta sobbed as she was handed a handkerchief by Claire, “Let me wipe that off for you.”

“Gonna have to wash my hair before we go on.” Angie replied, her lips turning up in a crooked grin.

“We’ll take care of that.” Claire, touched by her student’s determination, answered back.

“Let’s go.” Angie exclaimed as once again they began to march towards the school only this time, instead of an egg, a rock was thrown, hitting Angie in the back of her head, drawing blood.

Smirking as the rock he threw hit the young blonde, Skylar Feldman sneered, “That’ll get things started.”

“Szereto!” Elizaveta called out in alarm as her hand turned red from her girlfriend’s blood. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, baby.” Angie weakly replied, “I was stunned for a moment, but I’m ok…really. I just need a bandage.”

“No one hits one of my girls!” Jake, his eyes red with fury, hollered as he launched himself at the mob, decking the first man he saw with an uppercut to the jaw.

“Apa!” Elizaveta called out as she saw her father surrounded by the angry mob.

“Go…pull him out.” Angie smiled up at her girlfriend, “My mom and your mom’s got me. They won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Damn right we won’t.” Helen and Jessica both declared as they knelt down next to their girl to be soon joined by the other mothers and the Fashion Club who formed a protective circle around the injured blonde.

“Thanks.” Elizaveta said in a soft voice as she kissed Angie, “I’ll be back.”

“Kick their asses for me.” Angie grinned back.

“Te faszszopó kis geci!” Elizaveta shouted as she launched herself into the melee, punching and kicking her way to her step-father.

“Guess it’s time we got our hands dirty, Son.” Danny Sr. said as he rolled up his sleeves and balled up his fists, “Ain’t no one messin’ with our girls.”

“Let’ get ‘em, Dad.” Danny Jr. nodded his head as father and son joined to help their friends.

“Don’t know about you guys…” Mack declared as he turned to Kevin and the rest of the football team, “But I’m not sitting on the sidelines here.”

“Let’s get ‘em, Mack Daddy!” Kevin cheered as Mack, for once, decided not to get upset at Kevin for calling him that.

“Take care of yourself, Mack!” Jodie shouted out encouragement, “Love you!”

“Love you too!” Mack hollered back as he threw a punch at one of the demonstrators and then, ripping the man’s sign from his hands, proceeded to pummel him with it.

“Girls?” Brittany said, turning to her fellow cheerleaders.

“Time to kick ass.” Nikki grimaced as the cheerleaders also joined the melee.

“We’re not going to be the odd guys out—are we, Jim?” Chris asked his brother with a wink.

“Not this time.” Jim replied as the Carbone brothers joined the fight.

“Hell yeah!” Tony shouted as he chugged down the last of the bourbon and then threw a punch at one of the protesters, “This is my kinda fight!”

“Go get ‘em, Antonio.” Claire whispered, giving her Italian lover a kiss on the cheeks.

“Grazie, cara mio.” The Italian grinned as he returned his lover’s kiss and then also joined the fight.

“Those are MY students!” Tony DeMartino shouted as he launched himself into the melee.

“Knuckle-dragging men!” Ms. Barch growled as she attacked the nearest male Wretchboro demonstrator she could find, putting him into a headlock until he slumped to the ground and then moving on to the next, leaving a trail of ruin behind her.

Holding her hands out, Ms. Li called out in vain, “Students! Stop this brawl at once! This does not reflect well on the glory of Lawwwnnnndale High!” 

Several punches, kicks, and screams later, the Wretchboro Baptist Church, bleeding and limping, abandoned the field to the victors who all shouted out, “Don’t come back now—you hear!”

Helping her step-father up from the ground, Elizaveta gave him a kiss on his cheeks, “I’ve got the bravest apa in the world.” She said as she led him back to Helen and the others.

“My little girl’s no slouch herself.” Jake proudly responded. Then, seeing his wife, he lowered his head, “I’m sorry I lost it, honey.”

“Don’t be, Jakey.” Helen smiled back, her pride in her husband obvious to everyone. “I think you were very brave.”

“How are you, szereto?” Elizaveta asked as she knelt down next to her girlfriend.

“I’m ok.” Angie smiled back as she gave her lover a kiss on the lips and then, noticing the black eye and a few other bruises, quipped with a crooked grin, “I hope the other guy got it worse.”

“He sure as hell did. Elizaveta here took down a lot of those yahoos all by her lonesome.” Danny Sr. remarked as he and his son joined the group. “That little lady of yours is a tiger.”

“If I didn’t know any better…” Danny Jr. remarked, “I’d swear she’s had commando training somewhere. Some of those moves I saw…” he shook his head in amazement, “I don’t think I’ve seen in any form of martial art I’m familiar with. I’m betting she could hold her own against a SEAL or a Delta Force specialist if she had to.”

“I’ll say.” Jim quipped as he and his brother, both sporting black eyes and bruises, joined the conversation. “Glad I was on your side.” He grinned down at Elizaveta

“You can say that again.” Chris laughed, “Remind me not to ever get you mad at me.”

“Hey Mack…Kevin…Brittany…girls…’ Angie grinned as the others, also sporting minor bruises, black eyes, and injuries approached, “Thanks…I mean it.”

“You’re my BFF.” Brittany grinned as she gingerly hugged her best friend, “I wasn’t going to let some creep get away with hurting you.”

“That’s right, Ang.” Nikki exclaimed, “Mess with one of us…mess with all of us! Right girls?”

“Right!” All the cheerleaders called out in unison.

“I wonder why the police didn’t intervene.” Helen pondered as the others murmured their agreement.

“Good question, Ma’am.” Danny Sr. nodded his head in agreement, “That’s what we pay our tax dollars for…”

“I’ve got the answer for that!” A blonde girl wearing a t-shirt and tattered jeans hobbled forward on crutches, assisted by another girl.

“Jennifer?” Jodie called out, “What do you mean you can answer that?”

“My sister, Samantha, and I overheard Skylar Feldman and Brad Phillips talking.” Jennifer declared in a loud voice, her gaze fixed on the two boys standing apart from everyone else. “Feldman said that he was the one who called those morons from that church and told them about the recital tonight and that Angie and Elizaveta were gay. He also admitted that he got his dad to contact the mayor who then told the chief of police to tell his people not to interfere.”

“That’s all a pack of lies, Burnout Girl!” Skylar sneered, “You and your sister have been toking too much weed!”

“First.” Jennifer declared, “Sam and I don’t touch the stuff. Second…” She smirked as her sister presented a cassette recorder, “We recorded the entire conversation.” Samantha then pressed play. Moments later, everyone heard Skylar’s own words coming from the tape recorder’s speakers condemning the young man.

“What do you have to say for yourselves, young men?” Ms. Li demanded as she glared at the two boys.

“You can’t touch me.” Skylar sneered, “My dad’s too powerful. He’ll have your job if you even try.”

“Ms. Li might be too scared to do something.” Helen growled, “But I’m not. I’m gong to have this looked into and I can guarantee there’s going to be a recall petition for the mayor being drawn up in the near future.”

“You draw it up and I’ll be the first to sign it.” Danny Sr. declared, “Never liked that rattlesnake much to begin with.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Skylar Feldman.” Quinn announced as the other girls in the Fashion Club nodded their heads in agreement, “You and Brad Phillips are a pair of losers. You’re even lower than unpopular.”

“Yeah.” Sandi agreed, “Enjoy life with the unpopular crowd.”

“Hell…” Jane remarked as she, for once, found herself in agreement with the fashionistas, “We don’t want them. We’ve got standards you know.”

“Hope you like being frozen out.” Daria grinned, “Don’t worry…it’s not so bad…you’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Looks like I’m going to have to revise the popularity standings.” Tori remarked with a sly grin. “A couple of new spots just opened up in the freshman boys top five.” Seeing a bruised Eddie being held by his girlfriend, Tori nodded her head, “Well…there’s one spot filled.”

As their fellow students turned their backs on the two boys, Skylar Feldman cursed under his breath, “This isn’t over with yet, dykes.”

Shaking her head as the two boys walked away, Claire Defoe sighed, “Part of me feels sorry for them, but part of me wants to kick their asses all the way back to their homes.”

“That just means you’re a good woman, Claire.” Antonio whispered in her ear.

“And you…my brave man…” Claire grinned as she gently touched the bruise on Antonio’s cheek, “Are going to get a special reward when we get home.” She then spoke to her two lead dancers, “I’ll understand if you don’t want to go on with the show.”

“What?” Both girls exclaimed, “We’re not going to let two losers or a bunch of morons stop us from doing something we’ve been working on all year! Right girls!” The other dancers all shouted out their agreement as their teacher’s lips turned up in a smile. Taking a handkerchief from her lover, Claire wiped the tears away from her eyes.

“Let’s go then.” Claire grinned, “We’ve got a show to put on!”

 

The show went off without a hitch as the curtain dropped on the two girls following their touching final dance, leaving most of the women and not a few of the men in the audience with moist eyes.

“You’re a big softie, honey.” Debbie Barrows said as she handed her husband a tissue.

“Here, Jakey.” Helen smiled as she handed Jake a Kleenex and then wiped the tears from her own eyes.

Nodding her head, Daria declared in a quiet voice, “Not bad.” She then smirked at her amiga, “The backdrops and scenery looked pretty good too.”

“Can I cook or can I cook.” Jane smiled as she reveled in the accomplishment of all her hard work.

“Cool.” Trent whispered as the other members of Mystic Spiral dried the tears from their eyes.

Claire Defoe then came out in front of the curtain with Elizaveta and Angie on either side of her and the rest of the dancers in a line behind them. “Thank you for coming everyone, but before we leave, we’d like to ask someone to come up and join us on stage. Without her hard work and dedication, the beautiful set design and backdrops you saw tonight would not have been possible. Jane Lane…please come up and join us!”

“What?” Jane exclaimed as Daria laughed.

“Go on up, Lane.” Daria smirked, “It’s your big moment.”

As she made her way towards the stage, the applause grew louder as Jodie, Mack, Kevin, Brittany, and even Quinn and the girls of the Fashion Club clapped their hands. Then, finally reaching the stage, Jane turned around and faced the audience, her face red with embarrassment while at the same time, smiling broadly as she basked in the applause.

“Thanks, Jane.” Claire whispered in her ear, “You did a great job.” Then the art teacher raised her voice so that everyone could hear, “We want to thank everyone for coming here tonight and supporting our girls.” A look of determination then came to her face as she spoke her next words, “I also want to thank you for standing up for the freedom of my girls and anyone else who simply wish to express themselves and live their lives in peace. Thank you so much and everyone have a great summer!”

 

As they entered their room in the Hotel Grande, Jake, setting down their suitcase, turned to his wife, “Honey…do you think it’s a good idea to just leave the girls alone tonight?”

“I don’t think there’ll be any problems Jake.” Helen grinned as she slowly began to unbutton her blouse. “Quinn’s staying with Stacy tonight and Jane’s staying over with Daria and Angie’s with Elizaveta. I don’t think anyone’s going to bother them…” She purred as she continued to unbutton her blouse. “Now come here you big hunk of man. When you jumped into that mob to protect our girls…you really turned me on…you big stud you…”

“Hmmm…Helen…” Jake leered as he approached his wife. “Come here…Jakey’s got something for you…”

“Mmmm…. let’s see what you got, stud.”

Back at Schloss Morgendorffer, Angie purred as she slowly and sensuously removed her girlfriend’s clothing. Then gently pushing her on the bed, she did a striptease of her own. “My treat.” Angie growled in a husky voice as retrieved something from her pocketbook. “A little something I picked up in a shop on Dega Street.” She chuckled as she saw the look of anticipation on her lover’s face. “You just lie back and let momma do all the work this time.”

Downstairs, as Daria and Jane were watching the _Sick, Sad, World_ marathon on TV, Daria handed Jane a pair of earplugs.

“What are these for?” Jane asked as she saw Daria beginning to put earplugs in her ears.

“Air raid siren’s about to go off.” Daria deadpanned. “Better hurry.”

“Air raid siren?” Jane shrugged her shoulders as she imitated her friend’s actions and put the earplugs in her ear.

Daria then began counting down, “Five…four…three…two…one…”

Then, a low moan came from Elizaveta’s room that grew rapidly in volume and intensity until it filled the house.

**“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends the sophomore year for Elizaveta and Angie. Don't worry, their adventures will continue with a few summer episodes and then on to junior year. I"d like to thank WildDogJJ for allowing me to use the Carbones here--I hope I did them justice. I'd also like to thank Remi for allowing me to use the evil Dr. Calan--don't worry, there's worse in store for him later. I'd also like to thank WRabbit7 again for allowing me to use his interpretation of Burnout Girl and also her sister, Samantha. If you haven't read his "Burned Out" yet, please do so--it's a GREAT story.
> 
> A few author's notes: The Wretchboro Baptist Church is based on a real group--Westboro Baptist Church--that has been in the news quite a bit because of their protests and other disruptive activities. Please note that NO Christian church or denomination considers them to be affiliated with them in ANY way. ALL of the Baptist confederations and associations have publicly stated that they are not members of their congregations and they are also rejected by all other denominations--Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox. To put it quite bluntly, these people are loons.
> 
> I normally steer clear of politics in my writing, but the Westboro Baptist Church, frankly speaking, leaves itself open to ridicule and ridicule is the best way of dealing with cancers like them. Mel Brooks understood that as did Werner Klemperer (Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes)--one of the conditions for him taking the part was that the Nazis would never win and always be ridiculed. That's also why Cleavon Little, who played the sheriff in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, told an actor who was uncomfortable using a very offensive word that it was necessary because it made everyone who used that word look like idiots--which was Brooks' intention--he used satire to show just how foolish and asinine bigotry is.
> 
> The summer season will roll out pretty soon--just give me a little bit of time to catch my breath. What I can tell you is that more and more of Elizaveta's memory will begin to return as we get into summer and then Junior Year with it all coming to a head in Senior Year. The barriers between the universes are beginning to weaken because of developments in the universe Elizaveta came from--but there are still a lot of stories to tell yet. I hope you enjoyed sophomore year and summer's coming!

**Author's Note:**

> To understand the title, "Second Chance at Love", it might help to read "Blind Ambition" which can be found at www.unitedtrek.org in the Star Trek: Sutherland section. I'm also considering posting the story here as it's short and does provide some background. My Elizabeth Shelby is considerably different from the Shelby portrayed in the Peter David novels and was written without me even having read those novels so they have absolutely no bearing on my portrayal of her.
> 
> I've also made Helen a more sympathetic figure than she's often portrayed. I think she's a good mother but gets overwhelmed and as often as not forgets what's most important in her quest for status and position.
> 
> While technically a crossover, almost all the story takes place in the Dariaverse.


End file.
